Numerical simulation of droplet formation in a micro-channel using the lattice Boltzmann method

Abstract

This study investigates droplet formation in a micro-channel using the lattice Boltzmann (LB) method. A cross-junction micro-channel and two immiscible, water and oil phase fluids, were used to form the micro-droplets. Droplets are formed by the hydrodynamic instability on the interface between two immiscible fluids when two immiscible fluids are imported simultaneously in a cross-junction micro-channel. The Shan & Chen model, which is a lattice Boltzmann model of two-phase flows, is used to treat the interaction between immiscible fluids. The detailed process of the droplet formation in the cross-junction micro-channel was illustrated. The results of the droplet formation by the LBM predicted well the experimental data by PIV (particle image velocimetry). The effect of the surface tension and the flow rate of water phase fluid on the droplet length and the interval between droplets was also investigated. As the surface tension increased, the droplet length and the interval between droplets were increased. On the other hand, when we increased the flow rate of the water phase fluid under the condition of the fixed oil-phase fluid flow rate, the droplet size was increased while the interval between droplets was decreased.