Fluid mechanics calculations in physics of droplets – IV: Head-on and off-center numerical collisions of unequal-size drops

Abstract

In this study, the finite volume method is employed to simulate the coalescence collision between water drops immersed in a continuous phase (n-heptane). For that purpose, it is chosen a range of values for the velocity of collisions for the finite volume calculations may yield different possible outcomes of the collision process. It can be seen for head-on collisions that when the velocity of collision is 0.2 m/s and 3.5 m/s, the little drop induces the formation of a hole in the bigger drop, until the surface tension forces to restore the circular form of the resulting drop. For a velocity of collision of 16.0 m/s, the little drop deforms the bigger one, and the system is converted into a thin ligament with the evolution of the dynamics. In this case, a little mass of n-heptane is trapped between the two drops, but at the end of the dynamics it drains to the continuous phase. For off-center collisions, two different values for the velocity of collisions were chosen, and the drops exhibit a lot of waves on the droplets’ surface. The streamlines are calculated for the process of coalescence of drops. These streamlines allow the understanding of the dynamics of the droplets immersed on the n-heptane phase. The effect of the interfacial tension it is showed due to the oscillations that the droplet exhibits. When the coalescence has begun, the streamlines form circular patterns at the zone of contact between the drops which explain the increment of the thickness of the bridge structure of the fluid between the two drops. At the end of the dynamics, when the velocity is of 0.2 m/s, the bigger drop reaches a circular form approximately, but when the velocity is of 3.5 m/s the drop reaches an elongated form.