In this work, a new method for measuring void fraction distribution around endogenous bubbles in a 2D fluidized bed is presented. The technique is based on illuminating a transparent-wall 2-dimensional bed with diffuse light from the rear and recording the distribution of light that penetrates the bed. The recording is made with a high speed video-camera. which gives frames with grey level corresponding to the light penetration and from which the voidage distribution around the bubbles can be determined In this way, voidage distribution in the region very close to the bubble contour (r/R-b less than or similar to 1.2) is obtained, which was not possible in previous studies due to limitations in spatial resolution A correlation is proposed for the voidage at the Contour of the bubble, with the voidage depending on the radial position and the polar angle epsilon(r, theta) In addition, the effect of the voidage distribution on the throughflow crossing the bubbles Was Studied and an increase of 20% was determined for the average bubble geometry of the more than 100 bubbles analysed Crown Copyright (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier B V. All rights reserved