A numerical study of the motion of a single drop in simple shear flow: Density ratio effects

Abstract

Three-dimensional numerical simulations are performed to study the density ratio effects on the cross-stream migration of a drop in simple shear flow at finite Reynolds numbers using a front-tracking/finite difference method. The gravity force is also included. For slightly buoyant drops (η = 0.998 or 1.002), the equilibrium position of drops are close to either of the walls, depending on whether the drop leads or lags the ambient fluid. For larger buoyancy (η = 0.95 or 1.05), the final equilibrium position, moves to the centreline. If the drop is slightly buoyant, the slip velocity is much larger than that of a heavier drop.