A Numerical Model For Partially-wetted Flow
Of Thin Liquid Films
Author(s)
K. V. Meredith, A. Heather, J. de Vries & Y. Xin
Abstract
A model for simulating thin liquid film transport over solid surfaces has been
developed. The film transport for mass continuity and momentumwere formulated
as a two-dimensional set of equations using thin-film assumptions. These
equations have been implemented in an open-source CFD code (OpenFOAM).
Treatments for partial-wetting phenomena have been included in the model to
account for the behavior near the contact-line. A surface-tangential force along
the contact line has been developed to allow for the simulation of rivulets and
dry patches in two-dimensional surface flow. An approach for applying contact
angle effects to the model for a real stochastic surface is outlined. Additionally,
experimental measurements were made for film flow over an inclined surface for
a wide range of flow rates. Using these experimental results, the model has been
validated for partially wetted flow over an inclined panel. The critical flow rate
of a film over a given surface was used as validation for the model. Results show
that for flow rates below the critical flow rate, the partially wetted behavior of the
flow was reproduced. Comparisons to experimental flow patterns and wetted-area
fractions were made.
Keywords: thin-film assumption, partial wetting, contact line, critical flow rate.
1 Introduction
The goal of this research was to develop a robust water-film transport model
for use in simulating the partial wetting behavior of thin film flow in practical
applications over realistic surfaces. To this extent, a thin film transport model has
been developed in OpenFOAM®, an open source computational fluid dynamics
(CFD) framework.
Keywords
thin-film assumption, partial wetting, contact line, critical flow rate
Related Book
Other papers in this volume
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