Numerical Simulation of a Liquid Drop Impacting on a Surface Covered by a Thin Liquid Film

Dr. Xiangou Li is a Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering Professor at the University of Waterloo, who’s main research interests and activities are in the area of thermal fluid/science, including energy systems and energy storage, various energy conversion devices, propulsion and power generation systems, aerosol generation and applications, and transportation fuel cell and battery systems.

Xiangou Li is leading this project with the help of Anis Khalef, who is here as part of the student exchange program between Sorbonne Universities and the University of Waterloo. At Sorbonne University Anis is studying Biomedical Engineering and has been able to bring his expertise in this field to this project.

Together, they are looking into the applications of liquid droplets on a thin liquid film. The features of the droplets depend upon various flow parameters and liquid properties. They have come to find that certain conditions could influence the results such as, film thickness, viscosity, and interfacial tension. The applications of this research will be seen in a variety of fields. Some applications include use in eye drops and direct injection combustion engines. Early on in the project Anis was already able to create a rough simulation for the interaction between the liquid droplets and the thin liquid film.