Modeling breakup and relaxation of Newtonian droplets using the advected phase field approach

Julien Beaucourt (1) , Thierry Biben (1, 2) , Anne Leyrat (1) , Claude Verdier (1)

1 LSP - Laboratoire de Spectrométrie Physique
2 LPMCN - Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Condensée et Nanostructures

The relaxation and breakup of Newtonian droplets is considered using the advected field approach. This method allows to follow the deformation of interfaces using an order parameter field [Biben et al., Europhys. Letters, 63(4), 623 (2003)] based on a Ginzburg-Landau equation. Using this method, it is possible to follow the breakup of droplets and stability curves can be obtained both in 2D and 3D shear and elongational flows. Finally, relaxation of a droplet is considered, following the application of an elongational flow. The results are compared with previous experimental data [Ha and Leal, Phys. Fluids, 13(6), 1568 (2001)], and are found to be in satisfactory agreement. The method is general enough to be applied to other non-Newtonian fluids, such as Oldroyd-B fluids or viscoplastic materials.

Mots clés: drop; breakup; relaxation; phase-field

Domaines: Mécanique des fluides [physics.class-ph]; Mécanique des fluides [physics.class-ph]

Julien Beaucourt, Thierry Biben, Anne Leyrat, Claude Verdier. Modeling breakup and relaxation of Newtonian droplets using the advected phase field approach. Physical Review E : Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics, 2007, 75, pp.021405. ⟨10.1103/PhysRevE.75.021405⟩. ⟨hal-00197263⟩