Finite Element Analysis of Electrohydrodynamic Time-Dependent Deformation of Dielectric Drop under Uniform DC Electric Field

Abstract

We present a numerical procedure based on the finite element method in combination with the Lagrangian technique to predict the time-dependent deformation of a dielectric drop which is suspended stationarily in another dielectric liquid under the influence of a uniform DC electric field. The effects of the electric field strength and the physical properties on the drop deformation are then shown. The computed results reveal that Taylor’s circulation appears in the drop in addition to the hyperbolic flow pattern due to the deformation, depending on the physical properties of the drop and continuous phases, and affects the drop deformation.