Work

Numerical Study of Falling Droplets in a Vertical Electric Field

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT It is of fundamental importance to study and understand the behavior of falling droplets. External fields, such as electric and magnetic fields, are considered promising methods for controlling falling droplets, especially at small scales. Although some experimental and theoretical work on falling droplets in an electric field has been conducted, a fully numerical model for electrohydrodynamic falling droplets is still lacking. In this article, we proposed a phase field numerical model and studied the falling droplets in a vertical electric field. In particular, the influence of the electric field on the velocity and interfacial morphology of the falling droplets was investigated. It was found that the vertical electric field can elongate the droplet in the vertical direction and increase its falling velocity. With a weak or no electric field (the electrical capillary number CaE < 1.0), an indentation appears on the top of the falling droplet, and the droplet evolves into a bowl‐like structure. In contrast, a strong electric field (CaE ≥ 1.0) causes a protrusion on the droplet, transforming it into a thumbtack‐like shape. The numerical model and the obtained results can improve our understanding of falling droplets and highlight potential ways to regulate their behaviors.

Source: Electrophoresis

DOI: 10.1002/elps.8136

Authors: Hailong Zhang, Tingting Zhang, Yuxin Lu, Qingzhen Yang, Hui Xing

Institutions: Northwestern Polytechnical University, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University

Language: English

Topic: Electrohydrodynamics and Fluid Dynamics

Subfield: Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Program

Awards: G2232330837, G3227271206, G813769521