Investigation of Droplet Dynamics Under Shear Flow

Abstract The dynamics of droplet under shear flow was investigated in normal gravity and microgravity. Drop under shear flow has many applications in aerospace such as aircraft de-icing and environmental control and life support system in space station. Shape analysis of the droplet showed that drop in microgravity have a greater contact angle and height, but a smaller contact radius, than that in normal gravity. The difference between advancing and receding contact angle θ a -θ r is greater in microgravity than that in normal gravity under the same wind speed. The effect of airflow on the droplet is mainly dependent on the We number and the dimensionless number k′ , which characterizes the ratio of wind force and adhesion force. the k’ in microgravity is larger than that in normal gravity. The droplet exposed to airflow from static to motion state can be divided into three regimes.