Investigation on Free Surface Flows and Contact Lines Driven by Wetting Effect

Abstract

In order to obtain the fundamental knowledge of free-surface flows under low-gravity conditions, the unsteady deformation of liquid surface in cylindrical vessels were experimentally observed with a drop tower. Main concern was placed on the dynamic behavior of the liquid driven by surface force and wetting. The deformation of the ethanol surface driven by surface tension was confirmed to be governed by the similarity rule described by Weber number. Even when the operating fluid was changed to ethyl benzene or FC-77, the scaled displacement has good correlation with the scaled time. Among the operating fluids with the similar values of advancing contact angle, the similarity law was well established in the present cases.