Collision dynamics of high-speed droplets upon layers of variable thickness

The collision dynamics between a droplet and a film has been studied with high-impact energy that can be grouped in a dimensionless Weber number, We, as normalized by surface energy. To accomplish this, we have developed a technique based on cutting of a high-speed jet, which can generate a single droplet with speed up to 23 m/s and We on the order of thousands. It was found that the boundaries indicating the occurrence of a central jet and that of a secondary droplet disintegrated from the jet decreased monotonically with increased dimensionless film thickness, H, and remained constant when the film thickness was larger than the crater depth. However, the transition designating multiple droplets that are originated from a central jet shows a non-monotonic trend with the variation of H, with a minimum We being at H ≈ 3, which is about the maximum crater depth, owing to a tuning behavior. The critical We for splashing that occurs at an early phase immediately after the impact is relatively sensitive to the film thickness only when H is between 1 and 2, which increases with reduced H. At large We (≳2,570 for high H), the ejected crown is closed to form a bubble and the transition boundary reveals a similar dependence on H as that for creation of a central jet.     

Investigation of liquid–liquid drop coalescence using tomographic PIV

High-speed tomographic PIV was used to investigate the coalescence of drops placed on a liquid/liquid interface; the coalescence of a single drop and of a drop in the presence of an adjacent drop (side-by-side drops) was investigated. The viscosity ratio between the drop and surrounding fluids was 0.14, the Ohnesorge number (Oh = μ_d/(ρ_dσD)^1/2) was 0.011, and Bond numbers (Bo = (ρ _d  − ρ _s )gD ²/σ) were 3.1–7.5. Evolving volumetric velocity fields of the full coalescence process allowed for quantification of the velocity scales occurring over different time scales. For both single and side-by-side drops, the coalescence initiates with an off-axis film rupture and film retraction speeds an order of magnitude larger than the collapse speed of the drop fluid. This is followed by the formation and propagation of an outward surface wave along the coalescing interface with wavelength of approximately 2D. For side-by-side drops, the collapse of the first drop is asymmetric due to the presence of the second drop and associated interface deformation. Overall, tomographic PIV provides insight into the flow physics and inherent three-dimensionalities in the coalescence process that would not be achievable with flow visualization or planar PIV only.     

Breakup of a droplet at high velocity impacting a solid surface

We have studied the collision between a droplet of different liquids with high impact energy and a solid plate with varied surface roughness, which is characterized by a dimensionless Weber number (We, defined as the impact inertia of the droplet normalized by its surface force) extending up to 12,000 for water. To make such collision, a technique was developed to generate a single droplet with speed up to 42 m/s, which was initially driven by upstream air flow through a nozzle and accelerated to nearly the same velocity of the high-speed flow downstream. Via a high-speed photographing system, the various splashing mechanisms were investigated and a specific prompt splash on a smooth plate was found at sufficiently high We, which was different somehow from the conventionally defined one that was generally believed to occur only on a rough surface. The radius when multiple secondary droplets were shed out of the rim of the expanding lamella was found to scale almost invariantly with We at large values, whereas the coupled effect of liquid viscosity might affect the ultimate value.     

Flow behaviour of negatively buoyant jets in immiscible ambient fluid

In this paper we investigate experimentally the injection of a negatively buoyant jet into a homogenous immiscible ambient fluid. Experiments are carried out by injecting a jet of dyed fresh water through a nozzle in the base of a cylindrical tank containing rapeseed oil. The fountain inlet flow rate and nozzle diameter were varied to cover a wide range of Richardson Ri (8 × 10⁻⁴ < Ri < 1.98), Reynolds Re (467 < Re < 5,928) and Weber We (2.40 < We < 308.56) numbers. Based on the Re, Ri and We values for the experiments, we have determined a regime map to define how these values may control the occurrence of the observed flow types. Whereas Ri plays a stronger role when determining the maximum penetration height, the effect of the Reynolds number is stronger predicting the flow behaviour for a specific nozzle diameter and injection velocity.     

Characterization of drop aerodynamic fragmentation in the bag and sheet-thinning regimes by crossed-beam,two-view,digital in-line holography

When a spherical liquid drop is subjected to a step change in relative gas velocity, aerodynamic forces lead to drop deformation and possible breakup into a number of secondary fragments. To investigate this flow, a digital in-line holography (DIH) diagnostic is proposed which enables rapid quantification of spatial statistics with limited experimental repetition. To overcome the high uncertainty in the depth direction experienced in previous applications of DIH, a crossed-beam, two-view configuration is introduced. With appropriate calibration, this diagnostic is shown to provide accurate quantification of fragment sizes, three-dimensional positions and three-component velocities in a large measurement volume. These capabilities are applied to investigate the aerodynamic breakup of drops at two non-dimensional Weber numbers, We, corresponding to the bag (We  = 14) and sheet-thinning (We = 55) regimes. Ensemble average results show the evolution of fragment size and velocity statistics during the course of breakup. Results indicate that mean fragment sizes increase throughout the course of breakup. For the bag breakup case, the evolution of a multi-mode fragment size probability density is observed. This is attributed to separate fragmentation mechanisms for the bag and rim structures. In contrast, for the sheet-thinning case, the fragment size probability density shows only one distinct peak indicating a single fragmentation mechanism. Compared to previous related investigations of this flow, many orders of magnitude more fragments are measured per condition, resulting in a significant improvement in data fidelity. For this reason, this experimental dataset is likely to provide new opportunities for detailed validation of analytic and computational models of this flow.     

Production of secondary drops during the single water drop impact onto a plane water surface

The normal impact of single water drops onto a plane water surface was studied experimentally to reveal the amount of secondary drops produced from the rim of crown-like interfacial structure. Within the experimental ranges tested, the ratio of the total mass of secondary drops to the mass of primary drop was approximately within 0–1 and correlated well as the function of dimensionless parameter K that consisted of the impact Weber number We and the Ohnesorge number Oh (K = We Oh ^−0.4). The dependences of the number and the mean diameter of secondary drops on K and dimensionless film thickness were also investigated.     

Investigation of droplets impinging on a deep pool: transition from coalescence to jetting

An experimental investigation of droplets impinging vertically on a deep liquid pool of the same fluid was conducted. Coalescence and jetting as two of the main regimes were identified and studied. Five fluids, distilled water, technical ethanol, n-pentane, methanol and 1-propanol were used for providing different liquid-phase physical properties with density from 600 to 1,000 kg/m³, viscosity from 0.20 to 2.00 mPa s, and surface tension from 13.7 to 72.0 mN/m. Except for the experimental run of n-pentane, which was carried out in n-pentane saturated vapor, the ambient gas for the other experiments was air. The impact processes of micro-level (diameter below 1 mm) droplets were captured using a high-speed camera with a backlight. The observations, velocity and diameter ranges of the experimental runs were described, and based on them, the effects of the liquid-phase properties were studied. It was found that both low viscosity and low surface tension can increase the instability during impact processes. By curve-fitting, the transition from coalescence to jetting was characterized by using two models, one employing the Weber number (We) and the Ohnesorge number (Oh), and one employing the Froude number (Fr) and the Capillary number (Ca). Both models characterize the coalescence-jetting threshold well. The We-Oh model was based on a commonly used model from Cossali et al. (in Exp Fluids 22:463–472, 1997) for characterizing coalescence-splashing. For the small droplet diameters (below 1 mm) considered in this study, it was required to modify the We-Oh model with a diameter-dependent term to fit the sharp change in thresholds for fluids with relatively high viscosity. The Fr-Ca model has not previously been presented in the literature. A comparison of the two models with literature data (Rodriguez and Mesler, J Colloid Interface Sci 106(2):347–352, 1985) indicates that they are also valid for impacts of droplets with diameters above 1mm. Calculation methods to generalize the two models were proposed.     

Kinematics of the motorcar body side deformation process during front-to-side vehicle collision and the emergence of a hazard to car occupants

The kinematics of the process of deformation of the motorcar body side in the culminating phase of a front-to-side vehicle collision has been examined as a possible basis for analyzing and modeling the process of emergence of a hazard to car occupants during a road accident. The course of such accidents has a complex nature and their models are necessarily based on the approximation of non-linear elastoplastic characteristics of impact processes, especially during the transition from the compression phase to the restitution phase of the deformation process. For such characteristics to be obtained, a lot of experimental tests have to be carried out. This paper addresses the short-duration processes with a high degree of complexity.

A front-to-side motorcar collision model has been prepared, which made it possible to analyze the process of deformation of the car body side and the emergence of a hazard and injuries to car occupants. The results of calculation of the deformation rate and range in various car body zones, velocity of the test dummy placed on driver’s seat and velocity of possible dummy’s impact against the car body side being deformed may be taken as a basis for designing effective occupant protection systems. The kinematics of the phase of vehicle contact and deformation process was modeled with taking into account results of experimental tests, including the curves characterizing the largely non-linear processes that are decisive for the deformation of the car body side. The deformation processes analyzed on these grounds showed at the same time the range of penetration of the deformed body part into the car interior, which causes a hazard to vehicle occupants. The calculation results have shown e.g. that the car body side is deformed to a depth of 0.2 m as quickly as within 0.02–0.03 s. At such a car body side deformation range, the car body part being deformed hits occupant’s body in his/her hips and pelvis area with a velocity of about 6 m/s.

     

Viscous oil–water flows in a microchannel initially saturated with oil: Flow patterns and pressure drop characteristics

Immiscible viscous liquid–liquid two-phase flow patterns and pressure drop characteristics in a circular microchannel have been investigated. Water and silicone oil with a dynamic viscosity of 863 mPa s were injected into a fused silica microchannel with an inner diameter of 250 μm. As the microchannel was initially filled with the silicone oil, an oil film was found to always form and remain on the microchannel wall. Different flow patterns were observed and classified over a wide range of water and oil flow rates. A flow pattern map is presented in terms of Re, Ca, and We numbers. Two-phase pressure drop data have also been collected and analyzed to develop a simple correlation for slug, annular and annular-droplet flow patterns in terms of superficial water and oil velocities.     

Microscopic particle image velocimetry measurements of transition to turbulence in microscale capillaries

The character of transitional capillary flow is investigated using pressure-drop measurements and instantaneous velocity fields acquired by microscopic PIV in the streamwise–wall-normal plane of a 536 μm capillary over the Reynolds-number range 1,800 ≤ Re ≤ 3,400 in increments of 100. The pressure-drop measurements reveal a deviation from laminar behavior at Re = 1,900 with the differences between the measured and the predicted laminar-flow pressure drop increasing with increasing Re. These observations are consistent with the characteristics of the mean velocity profiles which begin to deviate from the parabolic laminar profile at Re = 1,900, interpreted as the onset of transition, by becoming increasingly flatter and fuller with increasing Re. A fully-turbulent state is attained at Re ≅ 3,400 where the mean velocity profile collapses onto the mean profile of fully-developed turbulent pipe flow from an existing direct numerical simulation at Re = 5,300. Examination of the instantaneous velocity fields acquired by micro-PIV in the range 1,900 ≤ Re < 3,400 reveal that transitional flows at the microscale are composed of a subset of velocity fields illustrating a purely laminar behavior and a subset of fields that capture significant departure from laminar behavior. The fraction of velocity fields displaying non-laminar behavior increases with increasing Re, consistent with past observations of a growing number of intermittent turbulent spots bounded by nominally laminar flow in macroscale pipe flow with increasing Re. Instantaneous velocity fields that are non-laminar in character consistently contain multiple spanwise vortices that appear to streamwise-align to form larger-scale interfaces that incline slightly away from the wall. The characteristics of these “trains” of vortices are reminiscent of the spatial features of hairpin-like vortices and hairpin vortex packets often observed in fully-turbulent wall-bounded flow at both the macro- and micro-scales. Finally, single-point statistics computed from the non-laminar subsets at each transitional Re, including root-mean-square velocities and the Reynolds shear stress, reveal a gradual and smooth maturation of the patches of disordered motion toward a fully-turbulent state with increasing Re.     

Deformation and breakup of liquid drops in a gas stream at nearly critical Weber numbers

Experimentally determined values of the critical Weber number available from the literature are scattered over a very wide range ofWe _c from 2.2 to 99.6. To study one possible source of these discrepancies an experimental investigation was made of the deformation and breakup of water droplets at nearly critical Weber numbers. Experiments were conducted in a small horizontal wind tunnel. A continuous stream of uniform water droplets was allowed to fall perpendicularly to the continuous stream of air. The time histories of water droplets were recorded by using a high speed camera. Five different basic behaviours of water droplets were recorded in the range ofWe = 11 to 14. It was found that an increase in the Weber number in this region resulted in an increased percentage of droplets with regular bag type breakup.     

Turbulent transport in an inclined jet in crossflow

The present study experimentally investigates a turbulent jet in crossflow relevant to film cooling applications. The jet is inclined at 30°, and its mean velocity is the same as the crossflow. Magnetic resonance imaging is used to obtain the full three-dimensional velocity and concentration fields, whereas Reynolds stresses are obtained along selected planes by Particle Image Velocimetry. The critical role of the counter-rotating vortex pair in the mixing process is apparent from both velocity and concentration fields. The jet entrainment is not significantly higher than in an axisymmetric jet without crossflow, because the proximity of the wall inhibits the turbulent transport. Reynolds shear stresses correlate with velocity and concentration gradients, consistent with the fundamental assumptions of simple turbulence models. However the eddy viscosity is strongly anisotropic and non-homogeneous, being especially low along the leeward side of the jet close to injection. Turbulent diffusion acts to decouple mean velocity and concentration fields, as demonstrated by the drop in concentration flux within the streamtube issued from the hole. Volume-averaged turbulent diffusivity is calculated using a mass–flux balance across the streamtube emanating from the jet hole, and it is found to vary slowly in the streamwise direction. The data are compared with Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes simulations with standard k − ε closure and an optimal turbulent Schmidt number. The computations underestimate the strength of the counter-rotating vortex pair, due to an overestimated eddy viscosity. On the other hand the entrainment is increasingly underpredicted downstream of injection. To capture the correct macroscopic trends, eddy viscosity and eddy diffusivity should vary spatially in different ways. Therefore a constant turbulent Schmidt number formulation is inadequate for this flow.     

An experimental evaluation of the behaviour of mono and polydisperse polystyrenes in Cross-Slot flow

The behaviour of a number of mono and polydisperse polystyrenes are probed experimentally in complex extensional flow within a Cross-Slot geometry using flow-induced birefringence. Polystyrenes with similar molecular weight (M _w) and increasing polydispersity (PD) illustrated the effect of PD on the principal stress difference (PSD) pattern in extensional flow. Monodisperse materials exhibited only slight asymmetry at moderate flowrates, although increased asymmetry and cusping was observed at high flowrates. The response of monodisperse materials of different M _w at various flowrates is presented and characterised by Weissenberg numbers for both chain stretch and orientation using a theory for linear entangled polymers. The comparison of stress profiles against Weissenberg number for each process is used to determine whether the PSD pattern observed is independent of M _w and elucidate which relaxation mechanism is dominant in the flow regimes probed. For monodisperse materials, at equivalent chain orientation Weissenberg number (We _τd), different molecular weight materials were seen to exhibit similar steady state PSD patterns independent of We _τR (chain stretch We). Whilst no obvious critical Weissenberg number (We) was found for the onset of increased asymmetry and cusping, it was found to occur in the “orientating flow without chain stretch” regime.     

Simultaneous droplet impingement dynamics and heat transfer on nano-structured surfaces

This study examines the hydrodynamics and temperature characteristics of distilled deionized water droplets impinging on smooth and nano-structured surfaces using high speed (HS) and infrared (IR) imaging at We = 23.6 and Re = 1593, both based on initial drop impingement parameters. Results for a smooth and nano-structured surface for a range of surface temperatures are compared. Droplet impact velocity, transient spreading diameter and dynamic contact angle are measured. The near surface average droplet fluid temperatures are evaluated for conditions of evaporative cooling and boiling. Also included are surface temperature results using a gold layered IR opaque surface on silicon. Four stages of the impingement process are identified: impact, boiling, near constant surface diameter evaporation, and final dry-out. For the boiling conditions there is initial nucleation followed by severe boiling, then near constant diameter evaporation resulting in shrinking of the droplet height. When a critical contact angle is reached during evaporation the droplet rapidly retracts to a smaller diameter reducing the contact area with the surface. This continues as a sequence of retractions until final dry out. The basic trends are the same for all surfaces, but the nano-structured surface has a lower dissipated energy during impact and enhances the heat transfer for evaporative cooling with a 20% shorter time to achieve final dry out.     

Three-dimensional flow of Newtonian and Boger fluids in square–square contractions

The flow of a Newtonian fluid and a Boger fluid through sudden square–square contractions was investigated experimentally aiming to characterize the flow and provide quantitative data for benchmarking in a complex three-dimensional flow. Visualizations of the flow patterns were undertaken using streak-line photography, detailed velocity field measurements were conducted using particle image velocimetry (PIV) and pressure drop measurements were performed in various geometries with different contraction ratios. For the Newtonian fluid, the experimental results are compared with numerical simulations performed using a finite volume method, and excellent agreement is found for the range of Reynolds number tested (Re₂ ≤ 23). For the viscoelastic case, recirculations are still present upstream of the contraction but we also observe other complex flow patterns that are dependent on contraction ratio (CR) and Deborah number (De₂) for the range of conditions studied: CR = 2.4, 4, 8, 12 and De₂ ≤ 150. For low contraction ratios strong divergent flow is observed upstream of the contraction, whereas for high contraction ratios there is no upstream divergent flow, except in the vicinity of the re-entrant corner where a localized atypical divergent flow is observed. For all contraction ratios studied, at sufficiently high Deborah numbers, strong elastic vortex enhancement upstream of the contraction is observed, which leads to the onset of a periodic complex flow at higher flow rates. The vortices observed under steady flow are not closed, and fluid elasticity was found to modify the flow direction within the recirculations as compared to that found for Newtonian fluids. The entry pressure drop, quantified using a Couette correction, was found to increase with the Deborah number for the higher contraction ratios.     

Influence of surfactant upon air entrainment hysteresis in curtain coating

The onset of air entrainment for curtain coating onto a pre-wetted substrate was studied experimentally in similar parameter regimes to commercial coating (Re = ρQ/μ = O(1), We = ρQ u _c /σ = O(10), Ca = μU/σ = O(1)). Impingement speed and viscosity were previously shown to be critical parameters in correlating air entrainment data with three qualitatively different regimes of hydrodynamic assist identified (Marston et al. in Exp Fluids 42(3):483–488, 2007a). The interaction of the impinging curtain with the pre-existing film also led to a significant hysteretic effect throughout the flow rate-substrate speed parameter space. For the first time, results considering the influence of surfactants are presented in attempt to elucidate the relative importance of surface tension in this inertia-dominated system. The results show quantitative and qualitative differences to previous results with much more complex hysteretic behaviour which has only been reported previously for rough surfaces.     

Measurement of Dean flow in a curved micro-tube using micro digital holographic particle tracking velocimetry

Digital micro holographic particle tracking velocimetry (HPTV) was used to measure the three-dimensional (3D) velocity field of a laminar flow in a curved micro-tube with a circular cross-section. The micro HPTV system consists of a high-speed camera and a single laser with an acoustic optical modulator (AOM) chopper. We obtained the temporal evolution of the instantaneous velocity field of water flow within curved micro-tubes with inner diameters of 100 and 300 μm. The 3D mean velocity-field distribution was obtained quantitatively by statistically averaging the instantaneous velocity fields. At low Dean numbers (De), a secondary flow was not generated in the curved tube; however, with increasing Dean number a secondary flow consisting of two large-scale counter-rotating vortices arose due to enhanced centrifugal force. To reveal the flow characteristics at high Dean numbers, the trajectories of fluid particles were evaluated experimentally from the 3D velocity-field data measured using the HPTV technique. The present experimental results, especially the 3D particle trajectories, are likely to be helpful in understanding mixing phenomena in curved sections of various 3D curved micro-tubes or micro-channels, as well as in the design of such structures.     

Droplet impact dynamics for two liquids impinging on anisotropic superhydrophobic surfaces

Droplet impingement experiments were performed on grooved hydrophobic surfaces with cavity fractions of 0, 80, and 93?% using droplets of water and a 50?%/50?% water/glycerol mixture. The influence of liquid viscosity, cavity fraction, and spreading direction, relative to the surface grooves, is explored qualitatively and quantitatively. The maximum droplet spread diameter, velocity of the rebounding jet, and the time delay between droplet impact and jet emission were characterized for Weber numbers, We, based on droplet impact speed and diameter, up to 500. The unequal shear stresses and contact angles influence the maximum spread diameters in the two primary spread directions. At We?>?100, the ratio of the spread diameter along the direction of the grooves to the spread diameter perpendicular to the grooves increases above unity with increasing We. The maximum droplet spread diameter is compared to recent predictive models, and the data reveal differing behavior for the two fluids considered. The results also reveal the existence of very high relative jet velocities in the range 5????We????15 for water droplets, while such jets were not observed for the more viscous mixture. Further, in the range 115????We????265, the water/glycerol jet formation dynamics are radically different from the water behavior. Most evident is the existence of two-pronged jets, which arise from the anisotropy of the surface and the unequal shear stresses and contact angles that prevail on the surfaces. It is these influences that give rise to differences in the maximum spread diameters in the two primary spread directions. Similar two-pronged jet emission was observed for water over the very narrow range of We from 91 to 96. The issuing jet velocities were also observed to increase with increasing cavity fraction for both fluids and over the entire range of We explored. Lastly, the elapsed time between droplet impact and jet emission decreased with increasing cavity fraction.