Lattice Boltzmann modelling of droplets on chemically heterogeneous surfaces with large liquid-gas density ratio

This paper was presented at the 2nd Micro and Nano Flows Conference (MNF2009), which was held at Brunel University, West London, UK. The conference was organised by Brunel University and supported by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, IPEM, the Italian Union of Thermofluid dynamics, the Process Intensification Network, HEXAG - the Heat Exchange Action Group and the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.A lattice Boltzmann method which can simulate droplet dynamics on partial wetting surface with large liquid-gas density ratio is proposed. The interaction between the fluid-fluid interface and the partial wetting wall is typically considered. Using the method, the dynamics of liquid drops on chemically heterogeneous surfaces are numerically simulated. The corresponding mechanisms including droplet spreading, break-up and migration on such surfaces are studied on the basis of droplet shapes, moving contact lines and velocity fields.This work is supported by the UK EPSRC under grant EP/D500125/1

LBM, a useful tool for mesoscale modelling of single phase and multiphase flow – the variety of applications and approaches at Nottingham

This paper was presented at the 2nd Micro and Nano Flows Conference (MNF2009), which was held at Brunel University, West London, UK. The conference was organised by Brunel University and supported by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, IPEM, the Italian Union of Thermofluid dynamics, the Process Intensification Network, HEXAG - the Heat Exchange Action Group and the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications.Giving an overview of Nottingham group’s recent progress on numerical modelling and approaches in developing and applying the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM), the paper tries to demonstrate that the LBM is a useful tool for mesoscale modelling of single phase and multiphase flow. The variety of applications of the LBM modelling is reported, which include single phase fluid flow and heat transfer around or across rotational cylinder of curved boundary, two-phase flow in mixing layer, electroosmotically driven flow in thin liquid layer, bubbles/drops flow and coalescence in conventional channels and in microchannels with confined boundary, liquid droplets in gas with relative large density ratio; viscous fingering phenomena of immiscible fluids displacement, and flow in porous media

Numerical study of wetting transitions on biomimetic surfaces using a lattice Boltzmann approach with large density ratio

The hydrophobicity of natural surfaces have drawn much attention of scientific communities in recent years. By mimicking natural surfaces, the manufactured biomimetic hydrophobic surfaces have been widely applied to green technologies such as self-cleaning surfaces. Although the theories for wetting and hydrophobicity have been developed, the mechanism of wetting transitions between heterogeneous wetting state and homogeneous wetting state is still not fully clarified. As understanding of wetting transitions is crucial for manufacturing a biomimetic superhydrophobic surface, more fundamental discussions in this area should be carried out. In the present work the wetting transitions are numerically studied using a phase field lattice Boltzmann approach with large density ratio, which should be helpful in understanding the mechanism of wetting transitions. The dynamic wetting transition processes between Cassie-Baxter state and Wenzel state are presented, and the energy barrier and the gravity effect on transition are discussed. It is found that the two wetting transition processes are irreversible for specific inherent contact angles and have different transition routes, the energy barrier exists on an ideally patterned surface and the gravity can be crucial to overcome the energy barrier and trigger the transition

Moment method boundary conditions for multiphase Lattice Boltzmann simulations with partially-wetted walls

We propose a lattice Boltzmann approach for simulating contact angle phenomena in multiphase fluid systems. Boundary conditions for partially-wetted walls are introduced using the moment method. The algorithm with our boundary conditions allows for a maximum density ratio of 200000 for neutral wetting. The achievable density ratio decreases as the contact angle departs from 90°, but remains of the order O(102) for all but extreme contact angles. In all simulations an excellent agreement between the simulated and nominal contact angles is observe

Comparison of multiphase SPH and LBM approaches for the simulation of intermittent flows

Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) and Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) are increasingly popular and attractive methods that propose efficient multiphase formulations, each one with its own strengths and weaknesses. In this context, when it comes to study a given multi-fluid problem, it is helpful to rely on a quantitative comparison to decide which approach should be used and in which context. In particular, the simulation of intermittent two-phase flows in pipes such as slug flows is a complex problem involving moving and intersecting interfaces for which both SPH and LBM could be considered. It is a problem of interest in petroleum applications since the formation of slug flows that can occur in submarine pipelines connecting the wells to the production facility can cause undesired behaviors with hazardous consequences. In this work, we compare SPH and LBM multiphase formulations where surface tension effects are modeled respectively using the continuum surface force and the color gradient approaches on a collection of standard test cases, and on the simulation of intermittent flows in 2D. This paper aims to highlight the contributions and limitations of SPH and LBM when applied to these problems. First, we compare our implementations on static bubble problems with different density and viscosity ratios. Then, we focus on gravity driven simulations of slug flows in pipes for several Reynolds numbers. Finally, we conclude with simulations of slug flows with inlet/outlet boundary conditions. According to the results presented in this study, we confirm that the SPH approach is more robust and versatile whereas the LBM formulation is more accurate and faster

A mesoscopic model for microscale hydrodynamics and interfacial phenomena: Slip, films, and contact angle hysteresis

We present a model based on the lattice Boltzmann equation that is suitable for the simulation of dynamic wetting. The model is capable of exhibiting fundamental interfacial phenomena such as weak adsorption of fluid on the solid substrate and the presence of a thin surface film within which a disjoining pressure acts. Dynamics in this surface film, tightly coupled with hydrodynamics in the fluid bulk, determine macroscopic properties of primary interest: the hydrodynamic slip; the equilibrium contact angle; and the static and dynamic hysteresis of the contact angles. The pseudo- potentials employed for fluid-solid interactions are composed of a repulsive core and an attractive tail that can be independently adjusted. This enables effective modification of the functional form of the disjoining pressure so that one can vary the static and dynamic hysteresis on surfaces that exhibit the same equilibrium contact angle. The modeled solid-fluid interface is diffuse, represented by a wall probability function which ultimately controls the momentum exchange between solid and fluid phases. This approach allows us to effectively vary the slip length for a given wettability (i.e. the static contact angle) of the solid substrate

Numerical simulation of microflow over superhydrophobic surfaces by lattice Boltmann method

This paper was presented at the 3rd Micro and Nano Flows Conference (MNF2011), which was held at the Makedonia Palace Hotel, Thessaloniki in Greece. The conference was organised by Brunel University and supported by the Italian Union of Thermofluiddynamics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University of Thessaly, IPEM, the Process Intensification Network, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Heat Transfer Society, HEXAG - the Heat Exchange Action Group, and the Energy Institute.The superhydrophobicity of a microchannel is determined by not only the wettability of channel wall but also the surface topography. Recent experiments have found that superhrydrophobic surfaces can be achieved by pattering roughness on hydrophobic surfaces. In this paper, the dynamics of two-phase flow in microchannel with different wettability and topography is studied numerically by the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). The mechanism of drag reduction resulted from the superhydrophobicity is investigated. In particular, the effect of different rough surfaces on superhydrophobicity is analyzed. It is found that flow behaviours are strongly affected by the wall wettability and topography. The results show that the LBM has a good application prospect in the study of drag reduction in microchannels.The UK Royal Society-NSFC (China) International Joint Project (2009-2011), China NSFC under grant (50920105504), and China Scholarship Council (CSC)

Lattice Boltzmann Simulations of Multiple Droplet Interactions During Impingement on the Substrate

Studying material interface evolution in the course of multiple droplet interactions is critical for understanding the material additive process in inkjet deposition. In this paper, we have developed a novel numerical model based on the Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) to simulate the interface dynamics during impingement and interaction of multiple droplets. A lattice Boltzmann formulation is proposed to solve the governing equations of the continuous phasefield model that are used in commercial software COMSOL. The LBM inter-particle force is derived by comparing the recovered macroscopic equations from LBM equations with the governing equations of the phase-field model. In addition, a new set of boundary conditions for the LBM formulation is proposed based on conservation of mass and momentum to ensure correct evolution of contact line dynamics. The results of LBM simulations are compared with those of COMSOL and experimental data from literature. The comparison shows the proposed LBM model not only yields a significant improvement in computational speed, but also results in better accuracy than COMSOL as validated against the experiments. We have also demonstrated the capability of the developed LBM numerical solver for simulating interactions between multiple droplets impinging on the substrate, which is critical for development and optimization of inkjet manufacturing.Mechanical Engineerin