Computational and Analytical Investigation of Droplet Impingement and Spreading Dynamics around the Right Circular...

Numerical computations are performed to elucidate the water droplet impingement and spreading dynamics around a small right-angled circular cone suspended in the air. An axisymmetric model employing the volume of fluid approach describes the engrossing impact, spreading, and detachment behavior of droplets around the solid substrate. Influence of various dimensionless pertinent factors, like Weber number (We), contact angle (θ), Ohnesorge number (Oh), Bond number (Bo), and cone base-to-droplet diameter ratio $$ on maximum deformation factor (β_f) is demonstrated thoroughly to understand droplets' hydrodynamic and morphological behavior. An increase in We shortens the droplet's interaction duration with the substrate for a particular value of θ, Oh, and D_c/D_o. Moreover, the interaction time reduces drastically with the increase of Oh when θ, We, and D_c/D_o remain constant. Moreover, correlations are developed for both free (We = 0) and forced (We ≠ 0) falling of the droplet to determine the deformation factor as a function of various relevant dimensionless parameters, which operates satisfactorily within 0.8% of the computational data. Lastly, the maximum deformation factor for the droplet is calculated analytically, and it demonstrates an extremely good matching with simulated data.