Deflection Analysis of Flexible Cantilever Beam with a Drop Impact

A droplet impacting with a deformable solid is a ubiquitous phenomenon that can be easily observed in daily life as well as in diverse engineering applications such as a cantilever beam. Owing to its complex nature related with Fluid–Structure Interaction (FSI), numerical simulation can be an effective tool for understanding fundamental physics underlying a complicated interplay between a droplet and a deforming solid. In this study, we present a numerical analysis of the effects from various collision conditions such as impact position, impact velocity of droplet, solid flexibility, and dynamic contact angle on the deflection of cantilever, based on a formerly developed unified numerical framework for tracking both liquid–gas interface and deforming solid surface in a fixed Eulerian frame. In addition, particular attention is devoted to quantifying the effect of the dynamic contact angle on the deflection behavior of the cantilever. It is shown that the maximum deflection of the cantilever beam is primarily affected by the advancing contact angle whereas the second deflection is affected by both advancing and receding contact angles simultaneously. Correlation models for the first and second deflection magnitude of the beam are also proposed.