Foam bubble size measured using image analysis before and after passage through a porous medium

This work examines the flow of foams through porous materials by characterizing the foam bubble sizes before and after injection through a porous medium. Foam cell sizes are measured using an image analysis system and software developed in our laboratory. Glass mats are used as the porous medium, and foam is forced to flow through a mat at a specified porosity under a constant driving pressure. Results indicated that the size of the bubbles exiting the porous mat was independent of the bubble size of the foam entering the mat and dependent on the average pore size of the medium. Results are also presented which demonstrate the effect of foam quality on the bubble size.