Lattice Boltzmann study of droplet motion inside a grooved channel

Abstract

A droplet moving inside a grooved channel is studied by using a new lattice Boltzmann model for multiphase flows with large density ratio. A constant body force is applied to drive the droplet. Flows under different surface tensions, driving forces, density ratios, wall wettabilities, and groove geometries are investigated. It is found that the drag on the droplet and the flow pattern are strongly affected by the wall wettability and topography when the system scale is small. The effects of the driving force on the droplet are investigated through comparison of two different ways of applying it. Besides, the density ratio is varied over a wide range to assess its effects in the present setup. Special attention is paid to grooved hydrophilic walls which tend to enhance the droplet-wall contact. For such walls, two distinctive types of shape of the interface inside the groove are found and series of numerical investigations are carried out to find the critical wall contact angle, groove width and depth that determine which kind of shape the droplet assumes. Some typical cases are chosen for detailed analyses and compared to some other work. This study is expected to improve our understanding on the lotus effect and the physics of small scale flows near rough walls. © 2009 American Institute of Physics.