Equilibrium configurations of drops attached to spheres immersed in a uniform laminar flow

A computational fluid dynamics model has been developed to study the behaviour of a solid particle partially coated by an oil film and immersed in a uniform aqueous flow, to predict the equilibrium configurations of the film. The flow equations are solved using a finite volume approach, and the oil/water interface is captured using a Volume‐of‐Fluid method in 2D spherical coordinates. At Ca < < 1, shear forces are negligible, as interfacial tension maintains the oil film as a spherical cap. As Ca approaches 1, the shear forces overcome interfacial tension, stretching the oil film into a thread that eventually ruptures.