Presence Of Interfacial Tension Research Articles

The Impact of Electromagnetic Waves Propagation to the Dielectric Nanoparticles on Crude Oil Interfacial Tension Reduction for Oil Recovery: A Review

The presence of interfacial tension (IFT) force between crude oil and other fluids in reservoirs is one of the critical parameters that restrict the effective mobility of the oil and is continuously entrapped in reservoir pores. Reducing binding forces between oil and such fluids is one of the methods employed to improve oil productivity known as enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Various nanoparticles (NPs) have been utilized to reduce IFT. However, NPs encountered a challenge in terms of successful operation under a high temperature. Consequently, the NPs tend to segregate at the oil/ water interface which diminishes the IFT influences and more oil continuously entrapped. Recently, an innovative approach to enhance oil mobility was proposed by activating the charges of the NPs via electromagnetic (EM) wave propagation. Few analyses were reported using dielectric NPs with reasonable reductions to IFT. The dielectric properties of NPs are essential attributes corresponding to EM waves. During the EM wave exposure, the extra disruptions were generated at the fluid/oil interface that function as activating agents for the NPs resulting in the additional reduction for IFT. The present study provides a comprehensive review of the few results available, challenges that confronted the success of this novel approach, and admirable recommendations to improve the process in the future.

On the stability of inhomogeneous fluids under acoustic fields

In this work, we present the stability theory for inhomogeneous fluids subjected to standing acoustic fields. Starting from the first principles, the stability criterion is established for two fluids of different acoustic impedance (product of density and speed of sound of the fluid) separated by a plane interface. Through stability theory and numerical simulations, we show that, in the presence of interfacial tension, the relocation of high-impedance fluid from the pressure anti-node to the pressure node occurs when the acoustic force overcomes the interfacial tension force, which is in agreement with recent acoustic relocation experiments in the microchannel. Furthermore, we establish an acoustic Bond number that characterizes stable ( $Bo_{a}<1$ ) and relocation ( $Bo_{a}>1$ ) regimes. Remarkably, it is found that the critical acoustic energy density required for relocation can be significantly reduced by increasing the height of the channel which could help in designing acoustofluidic devices that handle immiscible fluids.

On capillary gravity-wave motion in two-layer fluids

Generalized expansion formulae for the velocity potentials associated with plane gravity-wave problems in the presence of surface tension and interfacial tension are derived in both the cases of finite and infinite water depths in two-layer fluids. As a part of the expansion formulae, orthogonal mode-coupling relations, associated with the eigenfunctions of the velocity potential, are derived. The dispersion relations are analyzed to determine the characteristics of the two propagating modes in the presence of surface and interfacial tension in both the cases of deep-water and shallow-water waves. The expansion formulae are then generalized to deal with boundary-value problems satisfying higher-order boundary conditions at the free surface and interface. As applications of the expansion formulae, the solutions associated with the source potential, forced oscillation and reflection of capillary–gravity waves in the presence of interfacial tension are derived.

Dynamics of microfluidic droplets

This critical review discusses the current understanding of the formation, transport, and merging of drops in microfluidics. We focus on the physical ingredients which determine the flow of drops in microchannels and recall classical results of fluid dynamics which help explain the observed behaviour. We begin by introducing the main physical ingredients that differentiate droplet microfluidics from single-phase microfluidics, namely the modifications to the flow and pressure fields that are introduced by the presence of interfacial tension. Then three practical aspects are studied in detail: (i) The formation of drops and the dominant interactions depending on the geometry in which they are formed. (ii) The transport of drops, namely the evaluation of drop velocity, the pressure-velocity relationships, and the flow field induced by the presence of the drop. (iii) The fusion of two drops, including different methods of bridging the liquid film between them which enables their merging.

Long-wave transverse instability of interfacial gravity–capillary solitary waves in a two-layer potential flow in deep water

Interfacial gravity–capillary plane solitary waves, driven by the gravitational force in the presence of interfacial tension in a two-layer deep-water potential flow, bifurcate in the form of wavepackets with a non-zero carrier wavenumber at which the phase speed is minimized. A stability property for the interfacial gravity–capillary plane solitary waves is presented within the framework of the full Euler equations: according to a linear stability analysis based on the perturbation method, such waves are unstable under weak and long-wave disturbances in the transverse direction to the dominant wave propagation. An instability criterion is verified that the total mechanical energy of the solitary waves is a decreasing function of the solitary wavespeed, owing to the fact that the speed of the bifurcating solitary wavepackets is less than the minimum of the phase speed. This result is consistent with an earlier study on the transverse instability of the longitudinally stable interfacial gravity–capillary solitary waves from the Benjamin model equation for weakly nonlinear long interfacial elevations (Kim and Akylas, J Fluid Mech 557:237–256, 2006). The analysis is also applicable to other interfacial gravity–capillary solitary waves that may bifurcate below the minimum of the phase speed, regardless of any restrictions on fluid depths in two-layer potential flows.

Stability of pressure-driven creeping flows in channels lined with a nonlinear elastic solid

The effect of pressure gradients on the stability of creeping flows of Newtonian fluids in channels lined with an incompressible and impermeable neo-Hookean material is examined in this work. Three different configurations are considered: (i) pressure-driven flow between a rigid wall and a wall lined with a neo-Hookean material; (ii) pressure-driven flow between neo-Hookean-lined walls; and (iii) combined Couette–Poiseuille flow between a rigid wall and a neo-Hookean-lined wall. In each case, a first normal stress difference whose magnitude depends on depth arises in the base state for the solid, and linear stability analysis reveals that this leads to a short-wave instability which is removed by the presence of interfacial tension. For sufficiently thick solids, low-wavenumber modes become unstable first as the applied strain increases above a critical value, whereas for sufficiently thin solids, high-wavenumber modes becomes unstable first. Comparison of the dimensionless critical strains shows that configurations (i) and (ii) are more difficult to destabilize than Couette flow past a neo-Hookean solid. For configuration (iii), the nonlinear elasticity of the solid leads to two physically distinct critical conditions, in contrast to what happens when a linear elastic material is used. The mechanisms underlying the behaviour of the critical strains are explained through an analysis of the interfacial boundary conditions.

Numerical Simulation of Three-Dimensional Bubble Oscillations by a Generalized Vortex Method

A numerical method is implemented for simulating the simultaneous three-dimensional volume and shape oscillations of a compressible vapor or gas bubble suspended in an inviscid ambient fluid in the presence of interfacial tension. The flow generated by the bubble expansion, contraction, and deformation is represented by an interfacial distribution of potential dipoles supplemented by a point source situated inside the bubble, accounting for changes in the bubble volume. The mathematical formulation is completed by setting the strength of the point source proportional to the integral of the density of the double-layer potential over the interface. The motion of marker points distributed over the interface is computed using a boundary-element implementation of Baker's generalized vortex method in which the normal component of the interfacial velocity is computed in terms of tangential derivatives of the vector potential associated with the dipoles, whereas the tangential component of the interfacial velocity is computed in terms of the surface gradient of the scalar harmonic potential. The density of the double-layer distribution is computed by solving an integral equation of the second kind using an iterative method, while the evolution of the interfacial distribution of the harmonic potential is computed using Bernoulli's equation for irrotational flow. The onset of interfacial irregularities due to numerical instabilities is prevented by truncating the Fourier–Legendre spectrum of the interfacial distribution of the harmonic potential. With smoothing implemented, the numerical method is capable of describing simultaneous volume and shape oscillations for an indefinite period of time.

Surface tension effects on the nonlinear behavior of long waves in a two layer flow

The propagation of long waves of finite amplitude at the interface of two viscous fluids in the presence of interfacial tension is examined. The effect of capillarity on the shape of the waves at the interface of two superposed fluids is investigated for a wide range of density differences, viscosity ratios and imposed pressure gradients. It is found that in planar geometry surface tension stabilizes the interfacial disturbances. Attention is given to the case in which the upper fluid is more dense and comprises a thin film above the lower fluid. With the heavier fluid on the top the flow pattern is always unstable when surface tension effects are neglected. In this case the interfacial waves do not grow forever and reach a finite amplitude only when the interfacial tension is greater than a critical value.

Wave formation in the gravity-driven low-Reynolds number flow of two liquid films down an inclined plane

Wave formation in the gravity-driven low-Reynolds number flow of two liquid films down an inclined plane is studied by a linear stability analysis. Wavy motion can appear due to an instability of either the fluid–fluid interface or the fluid-air free surface. It is shown that the flow is always unstable and wavy motion can occur when the less viscous layer is in the region next to the wall for any Reynolds number and any finite interface and surface tensions. Stability can be achieved for the configuration with the more viscous component adjacent to the wall in the presence of interfacial tension when Reynolds number is small enough.