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Numerical study of droplet motion in a microchannel with different contact angles

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Abstract

The droplet motion in a microchannel with different contact angles, which is applicable to a typical proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), was studied numerically by solving the equations governing the conservation of mass and momentum. The gas-liquid interface or droplet shape was determined by a level set method which was modified to treat the static and dynamic contact angles. The matching conditions at the interface were accurately imposed by incorporating the ghost fluid approach based on a sharp-interface representation. Based on the numerical results, the droplet dynamics including the sliding and detachment of droplets was found to depend significantly on the contact angle. Also, the effects of inlet flow velocity, droplet size and side wall on the droplet motion were investigated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sogang University, Seoul, 121-742, Korea

    Jiyoung Choi & Gihun Son

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  1. Jiyoung Choi
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  2. Gihun Son
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Correspondence to Gihun Son.

Additional information

This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Haecheon Choi

Gihun Son received a B.S. and M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Seoul National University in 1986 and 1988, respectively. He then went on to receive his Ph.D. degrees from UCLA in 1996. Dr. Son is currently a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Sogang University in Seoul, Korea. Dr. Son’s research interests are in the area of multiphase dynamics, heat transfer, and power system simulation.

Jiyoung Choi received a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Sogang University in 2005. He is a graduate student of Mechanical Engineering at Sogang University in Seoul, Korea. Choi’s research interests are in the area of PEM fuel cell and microfluidics.

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Choi, J., Son, G. Numerical study of droplet motion in a microchannel with different contact angles. J Mech Sci Technol 22, 2590–2599 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-008-0905-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-008-0905-8

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