Numerical study of droplet impact and filling in a microgroove (Q392880)

Summary: The droplet impact and filling behaviour in a microgroove, which can be used to produce a very narrow microline, is studied numerically by solving the conservation equations of mass and momentum. The droplet interface is tracked by a Level-Set (LS) method, which is extended to treat the no-slip and contact angle conditions at the immersed solid surface of a microgroove. The numerical results show that the droplet filling time can be significantly reduced through the combination of hydrophilic and hydrophobic microstructures. Further, the effects of impact velocity and groove geometry on the droplet motion in a microgroove are investigated.