Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Study of Capillary Driven Flow in an Interior Corner of Rounded Wall Under Microgravity

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Microgravity Science and Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The capillary driven flow in cylindrical interior corners satisfying the Concus-Finn condition was investigated under microgravity. The governing equation of capillary driven flow in cylindrical interior corners was established, and the approximate analytical solution was obtained. The relationship between liquid’s front position and time was derived, which was then compared with the results of drop tower experiments and numerical simulation using the FLOW-3D software. The influence of different parameters on the interior corner flow was studied. The results showed that the meniscus height decreased as contact angle increased, and increased as the radius of rounded wall increased. The influence of decreasing the contact angle on a rounded wall was greater than that on a straight wall. Our findings can be referred to designing tanks or choosing the suitable solution in the space fluid management.

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
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
Fig. 18

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Chen, Y.K., Weislogel, M.M., Bolleddula, D.A.: Capillary flow in cylindrical containers with rounded interior corners. 45th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, pp 8–11, Reno, Nevada (2007)

  • Chen, Y.K., Weislogel, M.M., Nardin, C.L.: Capillary-driven flows along rounded interior corners. J. Fluid Mech. 566, 235–271 (2006)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Concus, P., Finn, R.: On the behavior of a capillary surface in a wedge. Appl. Math. Sci. 63(2), 292–299 (1969)

    MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Concus, P., Finn, R.: Dichotomous behavior of capillary surfaces in zero gravity. Microgravity Sci. Technol. 3, 87–92 (1990)

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis, S.H.: Contact line problems in fluid mechanics. J. Appl. Mech. 50, 977–982 (1983)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Dong, M., Chatzis, I.: The imbibition and flow of a wetting liquid along the corners of a square capillary tube. J. Colloid Interf. Sci. 172, 278–288 (1995)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mason, G., Morrow, N.R.: Meniscus curvatures in capillaries of uniform cross-section. J. Chem. Soc. Faraday. Trans. 80, 2375–2393 (1984)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mason, G., Morrow, N.R.: Capillary behavior of a perfectly wetting liquid in irregular triangular tubes. J. Colloid Interf. Sci. 141, 262–274 (1991)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nardin, C.L., Weislogel, M.M.: Capillary driven flows along differentially wetted interior corners. NASA/CR-213799 (2005)

  • Ransohoff, T.C., Radke, C.J.: Laminar flow of a wetting liquid along the corners of a predominantly gas-occupied noncircular pore. J. Colloid Interf. Sci. 121, 392–401 (1988)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, C.X., Xu, S.H., Sun, Z.W., Hu, W.R.: A study of the Influence of Initial Liquid Volume on the Capillary in Interior Corner under Microgravity. Int. J. Heat Mass Trans. 53, 1801 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weislogel, M.M.: Capillary Flow in an Interior Corner. NASA Technical Memorandum 107364 (1996)

  • Weislogel, M.M., Collicott, S.H.: Analysis of tank PMD rewetting following thrust resettling. 40thAIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting & Exhibt, 14-17 January, Reno, NV (2002)

  • Wei, Y.X., Chen, X.Q., Huang, Y.Y.: Interior corner flow theory and its application to the satellite propellant management device design. Sci. China Tech. Sci., 1849–1854 (2011)

  • Xu S.H., Wang C.X., Sun Z.W., Hu W.R.: The Capillary Flow and Reorientation of Liquid-Gas Surface in Interior Corner under Microgravity. J. Jpn. Soc. Microgravity Appl. 24, 275 (2007)

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors are very grateful to Key Laboratory of Microgravity, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences for supporting the work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Applied Mechanics, College of Science, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110819, China

    Yongqiang Li & Mingzhu Hu

  2. College of Mechanical Engineering, Jingchu University of Technology, Jingmen, 448000, China

    Ling Liu

  3. Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China

    Yin-Yin Su, Li Duan & Qi Kang

Authors
  1. Yongqiang Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mingzhu Hu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ling Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Yin-Yin Su
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Li Duan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Qi Kang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yongqiang Li.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Li, Y., Hu, M., Liu, L. et al. Study of Capillary Driven Flow in an Interior Corner of Rounded Wall Under Microgravity. Microgravity Sci. Technol. 27, 193–205 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12217-015-9435-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12217-015-9435-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation