We have developed a model for an ellipsoidal bubble colliding with a rigid horizontal wall based on potential flow theory. The model is then compared with experiments of air bubbles surrounded by water impacting a wall. 70 impacts were observed with bubble radius between 0.3 and 2 mm and different trajectory types (helicoidal, zig-zag). Deformation and height of the first impact are the main comparison points. The proposed model is in good agreement with the height of the rebound but tends to overestimate the maximal compression for both types of trajectories.
We also propose a new relation for the viscous drag coefficient correction induced by the wall confinement as well as the definition of potential pressure forces acting on bubbles close to a wall.
