Multiphysics simulation of two-phase viscous fluid flow steered by electric field for jetting of microdroplets

Abstract

In this research, we delve into the intricacies of viscous fluid flow with electric field coupling by employing the Finite Element Method (FEM) in tandem with the level set method. We generate a weak form for satisfying governing equations for electric field and fluid velocity while two phases are tracked by the level set function. The primary focus of this study is the complex interactions between free-falling jet and electric field, and the behavior of droplet encompassing deformation, fission, and fusion under the influence of electric field. The main contribution of this paper is given a new implement by using the P1/P1 scheme to directly solve the weak forms of coupled governing equations, which significantly improves calculation efficiency compared to the P2/P1 scheme, and we open source the code. This implement is verified by comparing with the experimental results of oil droplets deforming under an electric field. Computations are performed by FEniCS open-source packages. The phenomena documented underscore the multifaceted relationship between electrodynamic forces and fluid mechanics, accentuated distinctly under non-uniform electric field conditions.