A computational study of high-speed microdroplet impact onto a smooth solid surface

TL;DR

This study uses numerical simulations to analyze high-speed microdroplet impacts on smooth surfaces, providing insights into impact dynamics, maximum spread factors, and effects of viscosity relevant to Aerosol Jet printing technology.

Contribution

It introduces a computational approach using OpenFOAM to model microdroplet impact dynamics, validating correlation formulas and exploring effects of viscosity and impact parameters.

Findings

Maximum spread factors align with existing correlation formulas.

Droplet impact dynamics exhibit scale-invariance across sizes.

Viscosity influences free surface oscillations and bouncing behavior.

Abstract

Numerical solutions of high-speed microdroplet impact onto a smooth solid surface are computed, using the interFoam VoF solver of the OpenFOAM CFD package. Toward the solid surface, the liquid microdroplet is moving with an impinging gas flow, simulating the situation of ink droplets being deposited onto substrate with a collimated mist jet in the Optomec Aerosol Jet printing process. The computed values of maximum spread factor, for the range of parameters of practical interest to Aerosol Jet printing, were found in very good agreement with some of the correlation formulas proposed by previous authors in the literature. Combining formulas selected from different authors with appropriate modifications yields a maximum spread factor formula that can be used for first-order evaluations of deposited in droplet size during the Aerosol Jet technology development. The computational results also illustrate droplet impact dynamics with lamella shape evolution throughout the spreading, receding-relaxation, and wetting equilibrium phases, consistent with that observed and described by many previous authors. This suggests a scale-invariant nature of the basic droplet impact behavior such that experiments with larger droplets at the same nondimensional parameter values may be considered for studying microdroplet impact dynamics. Significant free surface oscillations can be observed when the droplet viscosity is relatively low. The border line between periodic free surface oscillations and aperiodic creeping to capillary equilibrium free surface shape appears at the value of Ohnesorge number around 0.25. Droplet bouncing after receding is prompted with large contact angles at solid surface (as consistent with findings reported in the literature), but can be suppressed by increasing the droplet viscosity.