The dynamics of the droplet impact and rebound: A lattice Boltzmann study

Abstract

In this work, the droplet impact and rebound behaviors on a flat substrate are comprehensively investigated by using the consistent and conservative phase-field based lattice Boltzmann method, which is robust for the multiphase flow problems with the large density ratios and long-time dynamics. The dynamic behavior of the droplet considered here is governed by five key factors: the contact angle, droplet size, the Bond number, the Reynolds number and the density ratio. The effects of these parameters on the barycenter motion trajectory, contact time, the maximum spreading factor and rebound height are studied, and the results show that the Bond number and the density ratio play the critical roles in the droplet morphology when it impacts the substrate. After the impact process, there are three typical patterns: fragmentation, deposition and rebound, which are mainly controlled by the wettability, the size of droplet and the Bond number. In the rebound process, we focus on the rebound height and the number of rebound, and also give the distribution of pressure inside the droplet and the evolution of pressure before fragmentation. Finally, it is also found that under some certain conditions, the air density has a positive effect on the droplet rebound behavior and a large density ratio of 6400 can be achieved.