Article: Suppressing artificial equilibrium states caused by spurious currents in droplet spreading simulations with dynamic contact angle model Journal: Progress in Computational Fluid Dynamics, An International Journal (PCFD) 2020 Vol.20 No.2 pp.59 - 70 Abstract: Accurate methods for numerical simulation of dynamic wetting and spreading phenomena are a valuable tool to support the advancement of related technological processes such as inkjet-printing. Here, it is demonstrated that numerical methods employing dynamic contact angle models are prone to artificial equilibrium states caused by spurious (parasitic) currents. The capability of different approaches in reducing spurious currents for sessile and spreading droplets with low equilibrium contact angle is evaluated. To minimise the influence of spurious currents on dynamic contact angle models, a smoothing step in the evaluation of the contact line velocity is introduced in this paper. The benefit and performance of this new approach is demonstrated by algebraic volume-of-fluid simulations of spreading and receding droplets with the Kistler dynamic contact angle model. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Suppressing artificial equilibrium states caused by spurious currents in droplet spreading simulations with dynamic contact angle model

Authors: Thomas Antritter; Martin Mayer; Peter Hachmann; Martin Wörner

Addresses: Institute for Technical Thermodynamics, Technische Universit¨at Darmstadt, Alarich-Weiss-Str. 10, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany ' Research and Development, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, Gutenbergring, 69168 Wiesloch, Germany ' Research and Development, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG, Gutenbergring, 69168 Wiesloch, Germany ' Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Catalysis Research and Technology, Engesserstr. 20, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany

Abstract: Accurate methods for numerical simulation of dynamic wetting and spreading phenomena are a valuable tool to support the advancement of related technological processes such as inkjet-printing. Here, it is demonstrated that numerical methods employing dynamic contact angle models are prone to artificial equilibrium states caused by spurious (parasitic) currents. The capability of different approaches in reducing spurious currents for sessile and spreading droplets with low equilibrium contact angle is evaluated. To minimise the influence of spurious currents on dynamic contact angle models, a smoothing step in the evaluation of the contact line velocity is introduced in this paper. The benefit and performance of this new approach is demonstrated by algebraic volume-of-fluid simulations of spreading and receding droplets with the Kistler dynamic contact angle model.

Keywords: droplet; wetting; spreading; inkjet printing; dynamic contact angle; spurious currents; parasitic currents; numerical simulation; volume-of-fluid method; OpenFOAM.

DOI: 10.1504/PCFD.2020.106403

Progress in Computational Fluid Dynamics, An International Journal, 2020 Vol.20 No.2, pp.59 - 70

Received: 06 Jul 2018
Accepted: 20 Feb 2019
Published online: 06 Apr 2020 *

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Title: Suppressing artificial equilibrium states caused by spurious currents in droplet spreading simulations with dynamic contact angle model

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