Ashley James, Principal Investigator

Numerical Simulations of Liquid-Fluid Interface Flows With Topological Transitions

Interfacial fluid flow is simulated to gain an improved understanding of how topological transitions of liquid-fluid interfaces occur. This group has developed an interfacial flow solver to investigate the use of vertical vibration to cause droplet ejection, and has submitted their research for publication. They are now working to modify the solver to improve its accuracy and extend its capabilities for the analysis of other physical systems.

Currently, a module to incorporate soluble surfactant is under development. This capability will be used to determine the effect of soluble surfactant on the break-up of a bubble in a shear flow. In another project, the code will be used to simulate the coalescence of two liquid drops. The method must be modified so that coalescence occurs selectively. The coalescence criterion will be based on a lubrication model of the fluid film between the two drops. Finally, the group is studying molecular dynamics simulations of interfacial breakup and coalescence with the aim of developing models of these processes for use in continuum- scale simulations.

Research Group

Ryan Ingvalson, Undergraduate Student Researcher
Xueli Jiang, Graduate Student Researcher