Numerical simulation of the coupling problems of a solid sphere impacting on a liquid free surface

This paper presents a model, using a phase-field method, that is able to simulate the motion of a solid sphere impacting on a liquid surface, including the effects of capillary and hydrodynamic forces. The basic phenomena that were the subject of our research effort are the small scale mechanism such as the wetting property of the solid surface which control the large scale phenomena of the interaction. The coupled problem during the impact will be formulated by the inclusion of the surface energies of the solid surface in the formulation, which gives a reliable prediction of the motion of solid objects in/on/out of a liquid surface and the hydrodynamic behaviours at small scales when the inertia of fluid is less important than its surface tension. Numerical results at different surface wettabilities and impact conditions will be presented and compared with the experiments of Duez el al. [C. Duez, C. Ybert, C. Clanet, L. Bocquet, Nat. Phys. 3 (2007) 180-183] and Lee and Kim [D. Lee. H. Kim, Langmuir 24 (1) (2008) 142]. (C) 2009 IMACS. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.