In order to improve the oil-water separation efficiency of a hydrocyclone, a new process utilizing air bubbles has been developed to enhance separation performance. Using the two-component phase Doppler particle analyzer (PDPA) technique, the velocities of two phases, air and liquid, and air bubble diameter were measured in a hydrocyclone. The air-licit-lid mixing pump can produce 15 to 60 mu m-diameter air bubbles in water. There is an optimum air-liquid ratio for oil-water separation of a hydrocyclone enhanced by air bubbles. An air core occurs in the hydrocyclone when the air-liquid ratio is more than 1 %. The velocities of air bubbles have a similar flow pattern to the water phase. The axial and tangential velocity differences of the air bubbles at different air-liquid ratio are greater near the wall and near the core of the hydrocyclone. The measured results show that the size distribution of the air bubbles produced by the air-liquid mixing pump is beneficial to the process where air bubbles Capture oil droplets in the hydrocyclone. These studies are helpful to understand the separation mechanism of a hydrocyclone enhanced by air bubbles.