On the influence of surface tension during the impact of particles on a liquid-gaseous interface

A numerical study of the water entry of non-rotating and rotating rigid spheres under varying impact angles and Weber numbers is presented. The numerical algorithm uses a finite-volume discretization and the interface between the liquid and the gaseous phase is described by means of a volume-of-fluid method. An appropriate mesh translation allows the boundary condition at the surface of the moving and rotating particle to be accounted for. The simulation results are validated with experiments and found to be in very good agreement both qualitatively (evolution of cavity shape) and quantitatively (motion of particle with respect to time). An investigation of the influence of particle rotation on its water entry behavior is carried out as well as an analysis of the effect of wettability upon cavity formation. Notably, wettability of the sphere plays a role during the penetration of a free liquid surface, even at higher Weber numbers. During impact of small particles at low Weber numbers, the influence of capillary forces rises and the force emerging at the three phase contact line becomes predominant. This force is taken into account and its influence on the impact behavior is presented. It is shown that the interface penetration behavior, either water entry or escaping from water, mostly depends on the Weber number, the solid to liquid density ratio, and the particle's wettability, while the impact angle has nearly no influence. (C) 2016 AIP Publishing LLC.