Jonathan Lukas Stober

Single droplet impacts onto thin wall-films are a common phenomenon in many applications. For sufficiently high impact velocities, the droplet impact process consists of three phases, i.e., initial contact stage, droplet deformation with radial momentum transfer inducing an upward rising lamella, and crown propagation. Here, we present the results of a combined numerical and experimental study focusing on the early dynamics of the impact process. Specifically, the effects of the initial droplet shape, wall-film thickness, and contact line motion are analyzed. Prior to impact, an oblate spheroidal droplet shape was observed. Using direct numerical simulation, we show that the droplet shape affects the impact dynamics only during the first two phases, as it is one of the key parameter influencing the correct prediction of the impact zone. The contact line propagation is described by a square-root-time dependence R¯CL=ατ for both, dry and wetted surfaces. On dry surfaces, the advancement of the contact line is determined by the rolling motion of the truncated droplet. On wetted surfaces, the value of the α-parameter is controlled by two concurrent effects, namely, rolling motion and wall-film inertia. For impact onto thin films, the rolling motion prevails. With increasing wall-film height, the droplet penetrates into the soft substrates and wall-film inertia becomes the controlling factor. These insights into the early impact dynamics on wetted surface are important for the formulation of a unified modeling approach.

Spray impacts can be found in several technical applications and consist of many single droplets, which impact under different trajectories on wetted walls. This study investigates the asymmetric crown morphology resulting from an oblique impact (α= 60°) of a single droplet on a horizontal and quiescent wall film of the same liquid. A droplet generator with an accelerated needle releases the droplets (D= 1.5 mm) in a controlled trajectory on a thin film (hf/D= 0.2). The impact process is recorded from two perspectives with two synchronized high-speed cameras. Varying the Weber number within the splashing regime reveals distinct crown morphologies, which are described in detail. For We< 500, a single central finger develops at the front of the crown, with subsequent detachments of secondary droplets. At higher We (>500), a collision of the crown with the wall film shortly after impact introduces disturbances into the rim, leading to two fingers in the middle of the front crown. A further increase in We (>600) intensifies the crown–film interaction, resulting in an early ejection of tiny droplets and a complete breakup of the front rim. The influence of We on the crown morphology during an oblique impact is also compared to the normal impact (90°). This study paves the way for a classification of impact regimes and a comprehensive picture of the oblique impact process, which deserve more investigation.