Simulation of Droplet Breakup Using a Lattice Boltzmann Method

Published

May 1, 2003

Author(s)

Frederick R. Phelan Jr., Nicos Martys

Abstract

Droplet breakup in homogeneous shear flow at super critical Capillary numbers and a viscosity ratio of unity is studied using a lattice Boltzmann method. We find that the total number of child drops that form from an isolated super critical drop scales according to a power law relation (n = 3.5). The child drops that form are all below critical, but not wholly uniform in size, and the distribution appears to be log-normal at high drop numbers. It is also found that for large ratios of the Capillary number to its critical value, the total strain required to break up a drop into N sub-critical entities tends to a constant value.

Proceedings Title

Society of Plastics Engineers, Annual Technical Conference | 61st | ANTEC 2003 Plastics: Annual Technical Conference, Volume 2: Materials | SPE

Volume

2

Conference Dates

May 4-8, 2003

Conference Location

Nashville, TN

Conference Title

ANTEC Conference Proceedings

Pub Type

Conferences

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Keywords

computatuonal fluid dynamics, drop breakup and Coat, lattice boltzmann method, multiphase flow simulation, polymer blends

Citation

Phelan, F. and Martys, N. (2003), Simulation of Droplet Breakup Using a Lattice Boltzmann Method, Society of Plastics Engineers, Annual Technical Conference | 61st | ANTEC 2003 Plastics: Annual Technical Conference, Volume 2: Materials | SPE, Nashville, TN, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=852170 (Accessed October 27, 2025)