Study on the Three‐Dimensional Motion Trajectory of Bubbles in Column Flotation System

ABSTRACT To address the limited information available on bubble shapes and motion trajectories in flotation systems, this work investigates the three‐dimensional motion and morphology of bubbles using high‐speed imaging and a virtual binocular stereoscopic vision system based on dual‐view imaging principles. First, the relationship between bubble shape and dimensionless numbers was established using experimental data and compared with other experimental records. The results show that the predicted correlation between the Weber number and Morton number in this study aligns more closely with experimental values. In the bubble motion experiments, two types of three‐dimensional trajectories were observed: “linear” and “spiral.” The amplitude of the horizontal oscillation of the bubbles was found to be negatively correlated with reagent concentration and positively correlated with the orifice size of the bubble generator. For dual‐bubble motion, three interaction patterns were identified: no interaction, approach–separation–reapproach, and intersecting ascent.