Numerical simulation of drop migration in channell flow under zero-gravity

Abstract

The migration of deformable drops in the channel flow neglecting the gravity influence is investigated numerically by solving the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations using the finitedifference method coupled with the front-tracking technique. The objectives of this study are to examine the effectiveness of the present approach for predicting the migration of drops in a shear flow and to investigate the behavior of the drop migration in the channel flow under zero-gravity. To validate the present calculation, some typical results are compared with available computational and theoretical data, which confirms that the present approach is reliable in predicting the drop migration. With respect to the drop migration in the channel flow at finite Reynolds numbers, the drops either move to an equilibrium lateral position or undergo an oscillatory motion under different conditions. The effects of some typical parameters, e.g., the Reynolds number, the Weber number, the viscosity ratio and the density ratio of the drop fluid to the suspending medium, and the drop size, on the migration of drops are discussed and analyzed.