Dynamics of a partially wetting droplet under wind and gravity
Alireza Hooshanginejad, Sungyon Lee
Abstract
Inspired by a rain droplet on a windshield, we theoretically study the dynamics of a partially wetting droplet subject to wind and gravity. Our reduced mathematical model couples the pressure drag induced by the flow separation over the drop and the gravitational force to characterize the drop's depinning conditions. The results of our lubrication model reveal the limits of up-slope depinning, pinning, and down-slope depinning for varying drop sizes and wind speeds. Our model can be used to identify optimum windshield angles for drop depinning for different ranges of flow speeds.
Topics & Concepts
DragMechanicsWettingDrop (telecommunication)WindshieldPressure dropGravitationMaterials sciencePhysicsClassical mechanicsThermodynamicsEngineeringComposite materialMechanical engineeringSurface Modification and SuperhydrophobicityAeolian processes and effectsFluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer