Simulation of vibrating droplets using a phase field approach

Abstract

AbstractDroplet vibration is an important phenomenon in many technical applications. Correctly predicting the occurring behaviour such as droplet detachment is a challenge for numerical simulations. In this work, a so‐called Navier‐Stokes‐Korteweg model that couples a gas‐liquid phase field to the Navier‐Stokes equations is used to simulate a droplet on a horizontally vibrating surface. Additionally, the equilibrium state of a static droplet on a fixed wall is simulated and the eigenshapes of the static system are investigated. It is found that this static eigenvalue analysis yields possible modes of the dynamic system, and some of the obtained eigenshapes can be recovered in the dynamic simulation.