Numerical Simulation of Dynamic Wetting of a Solid Sphere by GNBC-Front-Tracking and Immersed Boundary Methods

Abstract

Dynamic wetting of a solid sphere has been simulated numerically. We have developed the model for the description of the moving contact lines on curved solid surfaces by combining the GNBC-Front-tracking method and the immersed boundary method. The model was applied to the simulation of a quasi-static penetration of a water-repellent sphere into the water. As a result, the shape of the interface for different wettability is in good agreement with the previous experimental results. The residual bubble volume was evaluated under the different sphere size, static contact angle, and penetrating velocity conditions. The present results show a similar trend to the experimental and theoretical ones that the water-repellent sphere has a larger bubble since it incorporates more volume of air into the water, indicating the dynamic wetting of the sphere surface can be reproduced by the model.