Open inverted bell and bell formation during the washing of vials

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of new water flow structures, including open inverted bells and bell-shaped formations, occurring during vial washing, revealing complex fluid dynamics in common cleaning processes.

Contribution

It introduces a novel geometric arrangement leading to previously unknown water flow structures during liquid vial cleaning.

Findings

Formation of open inverted water bells from laminar jets.

Transition of water bells into flat sheets with increased flow rate.

Disintegration of water bells into droplets.

Abstract

A range of fascinating flow features was observed while cleaning or filling the medicine or liquid vials in the kitchen sink by serendipity. Here, we present the formation of an open inverted bell and bell-shaped flow structures formed from the water sheet in a new geometric arrangement, hitherto unknown. When a laminar jet impinges on the surface of the liquid in the vial of marginally larger or similar diameter, an inverted open water bell is formed, which gradually changes into a flat water sheet to a classical water bell as the flow rate is increased. The inverted water bell structures disintegrate by forming water ridges which finally break down into different sizes of droplets.