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Capillary Stability in a Tilted Circular Cylinder

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Abstract

The classical capillary stability problem in a vertical circular cylinder is a special case of the more general problem of the stability of liquid above a capillary surface in a circular cylinder with arbitrary orientation of gravity. This problem can, of course, also be viewed as arbitrary cylinder orientation in a steadily accelerating spacecraft. The general (tilted) circular cylinder capillary stability problem is solved numerically by use of the Surface Evolver code for general tilt and general contact angle. Tens of thousands of combinations of contact angle, tilt angle, and Bond number are solved for with a global volunteer computing network running Surface Evolver. The results appear to be symmetric about 90 degree contact angle, as in the previous vertical cylinder studies, and not symmetric about 45 degree tilt.

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Acknowledgments

The second author acknowledges the support of an National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship. Surface Evolver was created by Professor K. A. Brakke of Susquehanna University and is available free at his web site.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Purdue University, 701 W. Stadium Ave., West Lafayette, IN, 47907-2045, USA

    Steven H. Collicott & Robert E. Manning

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  1. Steven H. Collicott
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  2. Robert E. Manning
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Correspondence to Steven H. Collicott.

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Collicott, S.H., Manning, R.E. Capillary Stability in a Tilted Circular Cylinder. Microgravity Sci. Technol. 25, 319–326 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12217-014-9359-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12217-014-9359-z

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