Deformation of an oil droplet on a solid substrate in simple shear flow

Abstract

Displacement of immiscible fluids is important in sub-surface processes such as enhanced oil recovery, oil sand processing and detergency. In this study, simulation of an oil droplet deformation on a solid substrate in simple shear flow has been carried out using computational fluid dynamics tool (Fluent 6.3) and the shape of the oil droplet is compared with that of the experimental observation. The dynamic behavior of a two-dimensional oil droplet subject to shear flow in a closed channel is considered under the condition of negligible inertial and gravitational forces. The volume of fluid method is used in Fluent to determine the dynamics of free surface of the oil droplet during the fluid flow. The oil droplet deformation increases with the increase in capillary number, Reynolds number and size of the oil droplet. The deformation of an oil droplet attached to channel surface in simple shear flow is studied experimentally in laminar flow through visual observation using microscope (Ziess, SV11 APO) with high speed camera (PCO). Aniline and isoquinoline was used to form oil droplet and distilled water was used as shearing fluid. The deformation of aniline and isoquinoline droplets was recorded using a high speed camera connected to a PC. The recorded image was replayed and the deformation of aniline and isoquinoline droplets was analyzed using Axio Vision software and compared with the results obtained from CFD simulation. The deformation of different sizes of aniline and isoquinoline droplets at different flow rates of shearing fluid and with time are well predicted by the CFD simulation.