An efficient computational model for macroscale simulations of moving contact lines

Yi Sui (1) , Peter D.M. Spelt (2)

1 Department of Chemical Engineering
2 LMFA - Laboratoire de Mecanique des Fluides et d'Acoustique

We propose an efficient level-set approach for numerical simulation of moving contact lines. The main purpose is to formulate and test a model wherein the macroscale ow is resolved while the e ects of the microscopic region near a contact line are represented using asymptotic theories. The model covers viscous as well as inertial regimes. Test simulations include axisymmetric displacement ow in a tube and droplet spreading on a at surface. The results show that the present approach leads to excellent convergence properties even with very coarse grids; furthermore, the results agree well with asymptotic analysis, with those obtained with a method for direct numerical simulations (wherein an adaptive grid is used) and also with experiments.

Mots clés: moving contact line; macroscale simulation; level-set method; viscous regime; inertial regime; asymptotic theories

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

Yi Sui, Peter D.M. Spelt. An efficient computational model for macroscale simulations of moving contact lines. Journal of Computational Physics, 2013, 242, pp.37-52. ⟨10.1016/j.jcp.2013.02.005⟩. ⟨hal-00788635⟩