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Numerical Analysis of the Thermocapillary Migration of a Fluid Particle under Zero‐Gravity
Author(s) -
Ehmann M.,
Wozniak G.,
Siekmann J.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
zamm ‐ journal of applied mathematics and mechanics / zeitschrift für angewandte mathematik und mechanik
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.449
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1521-4001
pISSN - 0044-2267
DOI - 10.1002/zamm.19920720812
Subject(s) - dimensionless quantity , mechanics , inertia , zero gravity , drop (telecommunication) , classical mechanics , physics , temperature gradient , particle (ecology) , nonlinear system , flow velocity , fluid dynamics , viscous liquid , convection , flow (mathematics) , geology , meteorology , telecommunications , oceanography , quantum mechanics , computer science
The present paper deals with the numerical investigation of the thermocapillary motion of a fluid sphere immersed in an unbounded region of a different liquid under weightlessness. The governing equations are solved by means of a finite difference scheme taking the nonlinear terms into account. The influence of inertia and convection on the flow pattern inside and outside the fluid particle is discussed. It is observed that the dimensionless velocity of a drop with fixed diameter decreases with increasing temperature gradient in the case of high temperature gradients. At smaller temperature gradients the dimensionless velocity can exhibit the opposite behavior. These results are in contrast to the analytical solution of the linearized governing equations, where the dimensionless velocity is a constant.