Predictive Analysis of Complex Interfacial Flows (PACIF)
Lead Research Organisation:
Imperial College London
Department Name: Chemical Engineering
Abstract
Interfacial flows are encountered in a wide variety of natural phenomena and technological applications: from underwater, river and lava flows to biological settings such as tear films in the eye to conventional engineering applications such as condensers, heat exchangers and distillation units and more recent developments in the area of microreactors/MEMS and nanotechnology. The length scales involved range from the nanometer level as for dewetting of thin films, to the centimetre scale for heat and mass transfer applications, to the meter scale for geological flows. These processes and devices often depend critically on the behaviour of liquid films, especially in the presence of moving contact lines. The proposed research is a synergistic approach combining state-of-the-art theory, modelling, simulations and experimentation and involves a highly multi-disciplinary effort with a team that includes chemical/mechanical engineers, chemists, physicists and applied mathematicians. The proposed research calling upon the complementary expertise of this team aims to examine a number of open problems and research directions in the area of complex interfacial flows. For instance, a crucial problem in current predictive models for flows with moving contact lines is that artificial measures are required to alleviate the contact-line singularity. As a consequence, the necessary local mesh refinement to fully resolve the flow near contact lines render current models either unrealistic or excessively inefficient. The proposed research is therefore of paramount scientific and practical significance. It is a high-risk effort to provide the foundations and methodologies necessary for a detailed understanding of complex interfacial flows with moving contact lines and the development of tools for the accurate and efficient prediction of their dynamics that can be used in future research. The ultimate aim is the use of these tools for optimisation of processes and devices that exploit such flows.
Publications
Adams S
(2008)
Bloch waves in periodic multi-layered acoustic waveguides
in Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences
Beacham DR
(2009)
Surfactant-enhanced rapid spreading of drops on solid surfaces.
in Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids
CONROY D
(2010)
Dynamics and stability of an annular electrolyte film
in Journal of Fluid Mechanics
Craster R
(2009)
Dynamics and stability of thin liquid films
in Reviews of Modern Physics
CRASTER R
(2009)
Breakup of surfactant-laden jets above the critical micelle concentration
in Journal of Fluid Mechanics
Craster RV
(2009)
Pinning, retraction, and terracing of evaporating droplets containing nanoparticles.
in Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids
Ding H
(2012)
Propagation of capillary waves and ejection of small droplets in rapid droplet spreading
in Journal of Fluid Mechanics
DING H
(2010)
Sliding, pinch-off and detachment of a droplet on a wall in shear flow
in Journal of Fluid Mechanics
DING H
(2008)
Onset of motion of a three-dimensional droplet on a wall in shear flow at moderate Reynolds numbers
in Journal of Fluid Mechanics
Karapetsas G
(2012)
Convective Rolls and Hydrothermal Waves in Evaporating Sessile Drops
in Langmuir
Karapetsas G
(2011)
Surfactant-driven dynamics of liquid lenses
in Physics of Fluids
KARAPETSAS G
(2011)
On surfactant-enhanced spreading and superspreading of liquid drops on solid surfaces
in Journal of Fluid Mechanics
Matar OK
(2007)
Dynamic spreading of droplets containing nanoparticles.
in Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics
Nold A
(2011)
Critical assessment of effective interfacial potentials based on a density functional theory for wetting phenomena on curved substrates
in The European Physical Journal Special Topics
Nold A
(2011)
Wetting on a spherical wall: influence of liquid-gas interfacial properties.
in Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics
Pereira A
(2011)
Equilibrium gas-liquid-solid contact angle from density-functional theory
in Journal of Fluid Mechanics
Sahu K
(2010)
Stability of Plane Channel Flow With Viscous Heating
in Journal of Fluids Engineering
Sahu K
(2011)
Three-dimensional convective and absolute instabilities in pressure-driven two-layer channel flow
in International Journal of Multiphase Flow
Sahu K
(2009)
Linear stability analysis and numerical simulation of miscible two-layer channel flow
in Physics of Fluids
Sahu K
(2010)
Numerical simulation of non-isothermal pressure-driven miscible channel flow with viscous heating
in Chemical Engineering Science
SAVVA N
(2011)
Contact lines over random topographical substrates. Part 2. Dynamics
in Journal of Fluid Mechanics
Savva N
(2010)
Influence of gravity on the spreading of two-dimensional droplets over topographical substrates
in Journal of Engineering Mathematics
Savva N
(2010)
Influence of spatial heterogeneities on spreading dynamics
in Journal of Physics: Conference Series
Savva N
(2011)
Dynamics of moving contact lines: A comparison between slip and precursor film models
in EPL (Europhysics Letters)
Savva N
(2010)
Two-dimensional droplet spreading over random topographical substrates.
in Physical review letters
Savva N
(2009)
Two-dimensional droplet spreading over topographical substrates
in Physics of Fluids
SAVVA N
(2011)
Contact lines over random topographical substrates. Part 1. Statics
in Journal of Fluid Mechanics
Seevaratnam G
(2010)
Laminar flow deformation of a droplet adhering to a wall in a channel
in Chemical Engineering Science
Sefiane K
(2008)
Self-excited hydrothermal waves in evaporating sessile drops
in Applied Physics Letters
Shaw S
(2009)
Electrically induced bubble deformation, translation and collapse
in Journal of Engineering Mathematics
Spandagos C
(2012)
Surface tension-induced gel fracture. Part 1. Fracture of agar gels.
in Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids
Spandagos C
(2012)
Surface tension-induced gel fracture. Part 2. Fracture of gelatin gels.
in Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids
Sui Y
(2013)
Validation and modification of asymptotic analysis of slow and rapid droplet spreading by numerical simulation
in Journal of Fluid Mechanics
Sui Y
(2013)
An efficient computational model for macroscale simulations of moving contact lines
in Journal of Computational Physics
Sui Y
(2011)
Sustained inertial-capillary oscillations and jet formation in displacement flow in a tube
in Physics of Fluids
Sáenz P
(2014)
On phase change in Marangoni-driven flows and its effects on the hydrothermal-wave instabilities
in Physics of Fluids
Trevelyan P
(2012)
Dynamics of a Reactive Thin Film
in Mathematical Modelling of Natural Phenomena
Vellingiri R
(2011)
Droplet spreading on chemically heterogeneous substrates.
in Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics
Wylock C
(2012)
Disorder-induced hysteresis and nonlocality of contact line motion in chemically heterogeneous microchannels
in Physics of Fluids
| Description | This project has resulted in the decisive first step toward a rigorous methodology for the treatment of contact lines, a long-standing problem for fluid mechanics; the first detailed and systematic study of the effects of random, small-scale spatial heterogeneities on spreading dynamics. A significant outcome here is that the classical law of Wenzel is in fact incorrect; the first reliable numerical simulations of flows with highly-resolved contact line motion; resolution of the mechanism underlying the 25-year old problem of surfactant-driven ``super-spreading". The Platform Grant has provided stability, flexibility and enhanced career development for our PDRAs. A total of 12 PDRAs have been supported for various periods. The majority of these have moved on to successful careers in academia or industry. |
| Exploitation Route | Controlling surface wettability on patterned surfaces is crucial in a broad range of applications, including DNA micro-arrays and lab-on-a-chip. Our aim is to examine experimentally (macro-) droplet spreading on structured/random substrates, to provide insight into wetting and spreading for advanced and functional coatings. |
| Sectors | Chemicals,Education,Energy |
| Description | The findings of this project have been used to advance the knowledge of the physics of moving contact lines. The results were not exploited commercially; instead they provided the necessary fundamentals to underpin further studies that were published in leading journals (J. Fluid Mech, Phys. Fluids) in fluid mechanics. This work also led to significant follow-up funding (ERC Advanced Grant for Serafim Kalliadasis, EPSRC Programme Grant (£5M) for Omar Matar, another Platform Grant funded by EPSRC for Craster, Kalliadasis, Matar). |
| First Year Of Impact | 2008 |
| Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Chemicals,Education,Energy,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology |
| Description | Responsive mode (FPP3D) |
| Amount | £301,085 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/L022176/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2014 |
| End | 10/2015 |
| Description | Responsive mode (MACIPH) |
| Amount | £1,616,110 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/L020564/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 06/2014 |
| End | 06/2019 |
| Description | Strategic partnership with Procter and Gamble |
| Organisation | Procter & Gamble |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Engaged with P&G researchers to provide solutions to problems in the area of multiphase flows. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Engaged with the research group to provide a constant source of good problems to work on, secondment opportunities for our researchers, and cash contribution. |
| Impact | Procter and Gamble have provided £100000 cash contribution which was instrumental in our winning an EPSRC Programme Grant. |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Interfacial flows in the presence of additives |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other academic audiences (collaborators, peers etc.) |
| Results and Impact | An invited seminar at Physique et Mecanique des Milieux Heterogenes, Ecole Superieure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles (ESPCI), Paris, 20 March 2009. -- |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2009 |
| Description | Thin film dynamics |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Participants in your research and patient groups |
| Results and Impact | Invited seminar given at the Department of Mathematics at Bristol in 2008 on the dynamics of thin films in the presence of moving contact lines and surfactants. The seminar was attended by academic staff, and research students. After the seminar, there was an intense discussion of our results which were on a novel surfactant-induced instability. -- |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2008 |