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Numerical Investigation of Thermocapillary Convection in a Liquid Layer with Free Surface

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Abstract

Effects of Marangoni number, aspect ratio and gravity level on thermocapillary convection in a liquid layer is investigated numerically, in which the level set method is employed to capture free surface deformation. The computational results show that, with the increase of Marangoni number the free surface deformation is increased and it can lead to free surface rupture if the Marangoni number is large enough. The end walls has a damping effect on the free surface deformation, and as the aspect ratio (A =L/(0.5H)) decreases the deformability of free surface is reduced. The gravity can damp the free surface deformation, particularly as gravity level varies from 0.0001g 0 to g 0 the free surface deformability decreases steeply.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.501206165).

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  1. Institute of Engineering Thermal Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China

    Xiaoming Zhou & Xiulan Huai

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  1. Xiaoming Zhou
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  2. Xiulan Huai
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Correspondence to Xiaoming Zhou.

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Zhou, X., Huai, X. Numerical Investigation of Thermocapillary Convection in a Liquid Layer with Free Surface. Microgravity Sci. Technol. 25, 335–341 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12217-014-9361-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12217-014-9361-5

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