Liquid-Film Formation in a Hole under the Effect of Gravity

Packing towers are widely applied in several fields associated with heat or mass transfer. Experiments have suggested that perforated packings demonstrate good performance. To elucidate the liquid wetting mechanism on perforated packing surfaces, the liquid film in a hole has been focused on in this study. The three-dimensional model of a static liquid-film shape in a hole is established based on the discrete form of the Young–Laplace equation, which is solved using the Broyden method under certain conditions (hole diameter, depth, and liquid volume). Furthermore, the critical minimum droplet volume for film formation is derived. To determine the hole parameters required for the formation of the liquid film, theoretical structural conditions with and without a solution are identified based on the numerical resolution corresponding to film formation and rupture, respectively. The results are verified via in-hole liquid-film experiments. Finally, a dimensionless theoretical model and its results are obtained.