The effect of interface gradient distribution on unrealistic flow in 3D droplet simulations

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the origin of the parasitic current to provide accurate prediction of droplet surface interactions in Volume of Fluid (VOF) framework. The deformation of the droplet due to parasitic current has been the most important problem in 3D simulations. Parasitic current is influenced by curvature and surface normal estimation in the Continuum Surface Force (CSF) model. It has been shown that the number of neighboring cells of the central cell influences the gradient calculations regarding the generation of parasitic current. It has been observed that the polyhedral cell structure delivers a smoother interface gradient distribution than the cartesian cell structure. To examine the dynamics in different physical conditions, we compared simulations with base experiments to understand whether those models work. We then simulated droplet cases on stationary and moving wall conditions, and simulation results were consistent with experimental results.