A Level Set Method for the Simulation of Moving Contact Lines in Three Dimensions

Abstract: We propose an efficient numerical method for the simulation of multi-phase flows with moving contact lines in three dimensions. The mathematical model consists of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations for the two immiscible fluids with the standard interface conditions, the Navier slip condition along the solid wall, and a contact angle condition which relates the dynamic contact angle to the normal velocity of the contact line (Ren et al. (2010) \cite{Ren10}). In the numerical method, the governing equations for the fluid dynamics are coupled with an advection equation for a level-set function. The latter models the dynamics of the fluid interface. Following the standard practice, the interface conditions are taken into account by introducing a singular force on the interface in the momentum equation. This results in a single set of governing equations in the whole fluid domain. Similar to the treatment of the interface conditions, the contact angle condition is imposed by introducing a singular force, which acts in the normal direction of the contact line, into the Navier slip condition. The new boundary condition, which unifies the Navier slip condition and the contact angle condition, is imposed along the solid wall. The model is solved using the finite difference method. Numerical results, including a convergence study, are presented for the spreading of a droplet on both homogeneous and inhomogeneous solid walls, as well as the dynamics of a droplet on an inclined plate under gravity.