Numerical Analysis of Buckling of a Single Suspension Droplet

In this study, a 2D axisymmetric numerical model is developed for simulating buckling of suspension droplets for processes with a high evaporation rate. This model not only demonstrates droplet distortion during buckling but also predicts and visualizes solid particles' behavior inside the droplet. The core element of the simulation method is the so-called D-3-law predicting the droplet size and shape during different stages of the process. For improving the accuracy in the droplet shape and forces exerted on the solid particles, the effect of solid particles' concentration on buckling process has been considered. In this method, the solid particles are modeled in Lagrangian manner and possible collision of particles during the buckling has been considered. It is shown that the role of capillary forces in the shape of agglomerated particles is significant. The numerical results also reveal that the size of agglomerated particle depends on the initial solid particle fraction and the suspension droplet size. For all cases considered, the results are in good agreement with experiment measurements reported in the literature.