Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Experimental investigation of dynamics of primary and satellite droplet formation

  • Technical Paper
  • Published:
Journal of the Brazilian Society of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this paper, the dynamics of drop formation at low Weber numbers (We = \(\rho V^{2} D/\sigma\)) were investigated experimentally. Deionized (DI) water drops dripping from nozzles were photographed using a high-speed camera. The studied drop parameters mainly include the limit length of the filament, the thickness of the neck, the position of the neck, the size of the drop and the satellite droplet, and the movement trend of the satellite droplet. We found that the wettability of the needle nozzle mainly influences the dynamic dripping process of drops by changing the diameter of the contact circle of the three phases of gas, liquid, and solid. The transition of the satellite droplet behavior with the flow velocity and the diameter of the contact circle was further explored, and it was found that there are multiple critical transition states in the experimental parameter space. The change in the movement trend of satellite droplets is the result of the competition between surface tension and gravity. It is also affected by the flow rate, droplet oscillation, and interaction time.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Sohrabi S, Moraveji MK (2020) Droplet microfluidics: fundamentals and its advanced applications. RSC Adv 10(46):27560–27574

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Albert C, Beladjine M, Tsapis N, Fattal E, Agnely F, Huang N (2019) Pickering emulsions: preparation processes, key parameters governing their properties and potential for pharmaceutical applications. J Control Release 309:302–332

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Choi K, Ng AHC, Fobel R et al (2012) Digital microfluidics. Annu Rev Anal Chem 5:413–440

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Teh S, Lin R, Hung L, Lee AP (2008) Droplet microfluidics. Lab Chip 8:198

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Duronio F, De Vita A, Allocca L, Anatone M (2020) Gasoline direct injection engines—a review of latest technologies and trends. Part 1: spray breakup process. Fuel 265:116948

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Kwon KS, Rahman MK, Phung TH et al (2020) Review of digital printing technologies for electronic materials. Flex Print Electron 5(4):043003

    Google Scholar 

  7. Gu Z, Fu J, Lin H, He Y (2020) Development of 3D bioprinting: from printing methods to biomedical applications. Asian J Pharm Sci 15:529–557

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Shang L, Zhao Y (2020) Tiny water droplet with huge power. Sci Bull (Beijing) 65:693–695

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Zhang Y, Li D, Liu Y, Wittstock G (2018) Printing with satellite droplets. Small 14:1802583

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Zhang Y, Hu G, Liu Y, Wang J, Yang G, Li D (2022) Suppression and utilization of satellite droplets for inkjet printing: a review. Processes 10:932

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Eggers J (1997) Nonlinear dynamics and breakup of free-surface flows. Rev Mod Phys 69:865–930

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  12. Eggers J, Villermaux E (2008) Physics of liquid jets. Rep Prog Phys 71:36601

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Rajendran S, Jog MA, Manglik RM (2017) Experimental investigation of jet breakup at low Weber number. At Sprays 27(9):821–834

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Eggers J (2005) Drop formation—an overview. ZAMM 85:400–410

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  15. Castrejón-Pita AA, Castrejón-Pita JR, Hutchings IM (2012) Breakup of liquid filaments. Phys Rev Lett 108:74506

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Wang F, Contò FP, Naz N, Castrejón-Pita JR, Castrejón-Pita AA, Bailey CG, Wang W, Feng JJ, Sui Y (2019) A fate-alternating transitional regime in contracting liquid filaments. J Fluid Mech 860:640–653

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Wilkes ED, Phillips SD, Basaran OA (1999) Computational and experimental analysis of dynamics of drop formation. Phys Fluids 11:3577–3598

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  18. Lin P, Chen Q, Liu Y, Hu X, Zhu Z (2022) Prediction of Newtonian droplet breaking time from a capillary at low Weber numbers. ACS Omega 7:23890–23898

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Zhou S, Jiang L, Dong Z (2021) Bioinspired surface with superwettability for controllable liquid dynamics. Adv Mater Interfaces 8:2000824

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Wong WSY, Liu G, Tricoli A (2017) Superamphiphobic bionic proboscis for contamination-free manipulation of nano and core-shell droplets. Small 13:1603688

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Dai H, Dong Z, Jiang L (2020) Directional liquid dynamics of interfaces with superwettability. Sci Adv 6(37):eabb5528

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Gavaises M, Murali-Girija M, Rodriguez C, Koukouvinis P, Gold M, Pearson R (2022) Numerical simulation of fuel dribbling and nozzle wall wetting. Int J Engine Res 23:132–149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Dong Z, Ma J, Jiang L (2013) Manipulating and dispensing micro/nanoliter droplets by superhydrophobic needle nozzles. ACS Nano 7:10371–10379

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Lee S, Bae JH, Lee S (2021) Study of the geometry and wettability of nozzles for precise ejection of high viscous liquids. Korean Soc Manuf Process Eng 20:123–128

    Google Scholar 

  25. Yong J, Singh SC, Zhan Z, Huo J, Chen F, Guo C (2019) Reducing adhesion for dispensing tiny water/oil droplets and gas bubbles by femtosecond laser-treated needle nozzles: superhydrophobicity, superoleophobicity, and superaerophobicity. Chemnanomat 5:241–249

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Liu G, Wang X, Wang K, Tostado CP, Luo G (2016) Effect of surface wettability on internal velocity profile during droplet formation process in microfluidic devices. Int J Multiph Flow 80:188–193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Bishnoi P, Sinha M (2018) Influence of the wettability nature of the nozzle wall on the dynamics of drop formation. Int J Heat Technol 36:1005–1009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Aqeel AB, Mohasan M, Lv P et al (2019) Effects of nozzle and fluid properties on the drop formation dynamics in a drop-on-demand inkjet printing. Appl Math Mech 40(9):1239–1254

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  29. He B, Yang S, Qin Z, Wen B, Zhang C (2017) The roles of wettability and surface tension in droplet formation during inkjet printing. Sci Rep-UK 7(1):11841

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Zhang L, Ku T, Jia J, Cheng X (2018) The role of wettability of nonideal nozzle plate: From drop-on-demand droplet jetting to impact on solid substrate. AIChE J 64:2837–2850

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Chen YJ, Steen PH (1997) Dynamics of inviscid capillary breakup: collapse and pinchoff of a film bridge. J Fluid Mech 341:245–267

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  32. Day RF, Hinch EJ, Lister JR (1998) Self-similar capillary pinchoff of an inviscid fluid. Phys Rev Lett 80:704–707

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Tsai P, Wang A (2019) Classification and prediction of dripping drop size for a wide range of nozzles by wetting diameter. Langmuir 35(13):4763–4775

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Anthony CR, Kamat PM, Harris MT, Basaran OA (2019) Dynamics of contracting filaments. Phys Rev Fluids 4(9):093601

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Zhang X, Basaran OA (1995) An experimental study of dynamics of drop formation. Phys Fluids 7:1184–1203

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Thanks to the teachers from the School of Mechanical Engineering of Guangxi University for their support in the research, as well as their opinions and suggestions on experiments and writing.

Funding

This research was supported by the Guangxi Bagui Scholars Project (No. 2019A02).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning, 10593, China

    Shengchang Tang, Fulei Wang, Zhipeng Qin, Mengchuang Yin, Caijie Li, Yongchao Cai, Xiangfu Wei & Hui You

Authors
  1. Shengchang Tang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Fulei Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Zhipeng Qin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Mengchuang Yin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Caijie Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Yongchao Cai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Xiangfu Wei
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Hui You
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hui You.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare and agree with the contents of the manuscript.

Additional information

Technical Editor: Erick Franklin.

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Tang, S., Wang, F., Qin, Z. et al. Experimental investigation of dynamics of primary and satellite droplet formation. J Braz. Soc. Mech. Sci. Eng. 45, 501 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40430-023-04367-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40430-023-04367-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation