Displacement of liquid droplets on a surface by a shearing air flow

Three types of wind-driven droplet motion are identified and a simple analytical model is formulated to enable estimates of critical air speeds to initiate motion. [Display omitted] ► Droplet motion initiated by shear flow. ► Motion characterised by one of three behaviors. ► Analytical model shows balance of shear and capillary forces. ► Combining experiments and analysis gives predictive tool. The motion of droplets on surfaces is crucial to the performance of a wide range of processes; this study examines the initiation of droplet motion through a shearing mechanism generated here by a controlled air flow. Systematic experiments are carried out for a range of fluids and well defined surfaces. A model is postulated that balances surface tension forces at the contact line and the drag force due to the air motion. Experiments reveal that the critical velocity at which droplet motion is initiated depends on the contact angle and the droplet size. Visualizations highlight three modes of motion: (I) the droplet retains a footprint similar to that at the point of motion; (II) a tail exists at the rear of the droplet; (III) a trail remains behind the droplet (that can shed smaller droplets). The predictions of droplet initiation velocity are good for type I motion, in accordance with the assumptions inherent within the model. This model confirms the dominant physics associated with the initiation of droplet motion and provides a useful predictive expression.