Numerical Study Of Drop Formation From Dripping To Jetting

Abstract

The formation of liquid droplet from a capillary tube has been examined using numerical simulations. The dimensions of the capillary tube and the flow velocity have been varied to observe the regimes of drop formation. There are three main regimes of drop formation, which are the periodic dripping, the dripping faucet and the jetting regimes. The mechanism of drop formation changes from one regime to another and involves different parameters. A particular emphasis has been placed on the velocity limits between the different regimes and the critical role played by instabilities in the generation of satellite drops. The algorithm used for modeling the free surface of the fluid is the Coupled Level Set Volume of Fluid (CLSVOF) scheme, which incorporates both the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method for tracking and locating the free surface, and the Level Set (LS) method for the estimation of the local curvature. The free surface is reconstructed by the Piecewise Linear Interface Calculation (PLIC) scheme and the surface force is estimated by the Continuum Surface Force (CSF) model. The accuracy of the numerical study has been validated by the comparison to empirical data available in the literature.