Numerical Simulation of Liquid-liquid Droplet Breakup in Axisymmetric Extensional Flow
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Droplet breakup in liquid-liquid two-phase flows is of paramount importance in industrial sectors that necessitate fine and homogeneous droplet dispersions. In particular, droplet deformation and breakup under extensional flow hold significant industrial relevance, as they facilitate breakup across a broader range of conditions compared to shear flows. [1] However, due to the inherent difficulties in experimental control, existing studies remain insufficient, highlighting the increasing demand for numerical simulation-based approaches. The objective of this study is to comprehensively reproduce the deformation and breakup processes of a single droplet immersed in an axisymmetric extensional flow using a high-accuracy particle method. As this analysis targets the fundamental phenomena underlying multiphase flows and emulsions, it is expected to contribute to the resolution of the said industrial challenges. For these numerical simulations, the Moving Surface Mesh LSMPS method[2] [3] is adopted. This method is based on the stabilized LSMPS method and explicitly represents the interface using a surface mesh. This approach enables the accurate capturing of complexly deforming interfaces. The primary objective of this study was the faithful reproduction of the droplet breakup phenomenon. While previous studies were limited to capturing droplet deformation, the refined computational framework implemented in this research enables the successful simulation of the breakup process, including a generally accurate analysis of satellite droplet generation. Furthermore, during this process, several refinements were made to the numerical schemes.
