Simulation of Breakup of Thin Liquid Film between Parallel Circular Plates using Boundary Element Method.

Abstract

Filling with a viscous fluid the narrow gap between two parallel circular plates, when they are separated at a certain velocity, air penetrates into the narrow gap and the free surface gradually begins to show disturbances. As these disturbances develop, regular finger patterns are formed on the plates. Such a phenomenon is referred to as meniscus instability, and is considered to occur not only in the breakup of viscous liquid film but also in that of solid materials. In this study, the boundary element method is employed for simulating the growth of disturbances introduced artificially at the initial free surface of the liquids and the components of wave number of the most highly developted disturbances are investigated using FFT. The results of the simulation are compared with experimental ones, and good agreement is found between them.