Asymmetry During Fast Stretching of a Liquid Bridge

The dynamics of an axisymmetric liquid bridge stretch are investigated by means of numerical simulations, and the results are validated experimentally. The constant acceleration of the lower substrate stretches the liquid bridge. A simplified simulation model of the experimental setup is developed for the unstructured volume‐of‐fluid two‐phase flow simulation method, which models the lower substrate as a fluid with a prescribed constant acceleration of the retracting substrate. The effect of stretching acceleration, fluid properties, and liquid volume on the liquid bridge dynamics is investigated. It is shown that at low acceleration the length of the lower portion of the bridge is greater than the upper portion, which is reversed at high acceleration. With increasing viscosity, this effect is decreased and the bridge becomes more symmetric. A brief literature review on liquid bridge stretching, followed by a description of experimental and numerical setups is provided. The study includes a parametric analysis of the stretching of the liquid bridge, with particular attention given to bridge asymmetry. The results are discussed in detail, including phenomenological findings and evaluation of the numerical simulations.