Kinetic and electrical phenomena in gas–liquid systems

Disperse systems consisting of a liquid and gas bubbles located in it are considered. Two possible versions of evolution of bubbles under the conditions studied are assessed. In simple liquids, contact between two bubbles causes them to merge, as the separating film breaks. In the case of complex organic liquids, amphiphilic film is formed on the surface of bubbles, and the lifetime of bubbles in contact increases with their size. Under an external electric field, chains of bubbles are formed, lined up along the electric field potential lines. The presence of bubbles in liquid greatly lowers the breakdown threshold, as the critical parameters of the breakdown field in liquids are two to three orders of magnitude higher than those in gases at atmospheric pressure. Various breakdown mechanisms in liquids are discussed from the viewpoint of formation of the gas phase during the passage of an electric current through a liquid medium. The character of propagating a streamer in separate bubbles is studied with their random distribution in liquid and in the case of formation of some structures of bubbles; the critical parameters of disperse systems, that can lead to their electrical breakdown, are presented. Along with the general concepts of electrical breakdown in dispersed systems, experimental studies of these processes are considered, and the nature of electrical breakdown in liquid dielectrics, including transformer oil, is discussed.