Numerical study of two equal-sized miscible drops undergoing head-on collision

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The numerical analysis focuses on investigating head-on collisions between two miscible drops composed of distinct fluids, specifically ethanol and water. The simulations are performed using a coupled level set and volume of fluid approach with different Weber numbers to study the effect of drop inertia. The code is validated against experimental and numerical results from earlier investigations. Additionally, a comparative study involving both water drops and ethanol–water drops is conducted to explore the impact of varying surface tension ratios on collision outcomes. Results show that when miscible drops collide, the merged liquid drop exhibits asymmetric behavior, such as an asymmetric combined drop shape in cases of permanent coalescence or an asymmetric end droplet breakup in cases of reflexive separation. The collision outcome undergoes significant variation as the Weber number changes. At lower Weber numbers, permanent coalescence is observed, while at medium Weber numbers, reflexive separation occurs without the formation of a secondary drop. For medium to large Weber numbers, reflexive separation with the generation of one secondary drop becomes prominent, and in the case of very large Weber numbers, multiple satellite drops form. The maximum vertical elongation of the merged drop and corresponding surface energy increase as the surface tension ratio rises, irrespective of the Weber number. However, for a fixed surface tension ratio, the maximum vertical elongation and associated surface energy vary with an increase in the Weber number. The findings also shed light on the enhanced internal mixing arising from the mismatched surface tension of the colliding drops as the Weber number increases. Furthermore, the study explores the effect of drop inertia on various aspects, including asymmetric collision behavior, energy budget, and mixing index.