Inertial effects on flow dynamics near a moving contact line

Fuente: arXiv
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Autores principales: Gupta, Charul, Sharma, Rishabh, Hegde, Tejasvi, Sangadi, Venkata Sai Anvesh, Chandrala, Lakshmana Dora, Dixit, Harish N
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2026
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author Gupta, Charul
Sharma, Rishabh
Hegde, Tejasvi
Sangadi, Venkata Sai Anvesh
Chandrala, Lakshmana Dora
Dixit, Harish N
author_facet Gupta, Charul
Sharma, Rishabh
Hegde, Tejasvi
Sangadi, Venkata Sai Anvesh
Chandrala, Lakshmana Dora
Dixit, Harish N
contents This study investigates the role of inertia in moving contact lines using experiments, theoretical analysis, and numerical simulations. Experiments are conducted using a plate immersion configuration over a wide range of Reynolds numbers from $O(10^{-3})$ to $O(10)$. Flow configurations and quantitative measurements are obtained using high-speed imaging and particle image velocimetry. The streamfunction contours reconstructed from the experimental velocity fields are compared with the viscous modulated wedge solution (viscous-MWS) and inertial-MWS theory. Experimental observations show that the streamfunction contours agree well with viscous predictions at low Reynolds numbers; however, systematic deviations emerge as the Reynolds number increases. The inertial-MWS theory, an inertial extension of the Huh and Scriven framework, accounts for these deviations, but only within a narrow range of Reynolds numbers $10^{-1} < Re < 1$. At higher Reynolds numbers, inertial theory fails to accurately capture the deviations in the streamfunction contours observed in the experiments. Moreover, simulations conducted using the volume of fluid method support our findings, exhibiting deviations in streamfunction contours consistent with experimental observations. We demonstrate that inertia does not fundamentally alter the underlying flow configuration but instead induces a systematic deviation in the streamfunction contours. At finite $Re$, the interfacial speed transitions from a nearly constant value in the viscous regime to a monotonic decay along the interface. These findings expose the need for more sophisticated models of moving contact lines.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_28210
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Inertial effects on flow dynamics near a moving contact line
Gupta, Charul
Sharma, Rishabh
Hegde, Tejasvi
Sangadi, Venkata Sai Anvesh
Chandrala, Lakshmana Dora
Dixit, Harish N
Fluid Dynamics
This study investigates the role of inertia in moving contact lines using experiments, theoretical analysis, and numerical simulations. Experiments are conducted using a plate immersion configuration over a wide range of Reynolds numbers from $O(10^{-3})$ to $O(10)$. Flow configurations and quantitative measurements are obtained using high-speed imaging and particle image velocimetry. The streamfunction contours reconstructed from the experimental velocity fields are compared with the viscous modulated wedge solution (viscous-MWS) and inertial-MWS theory. Experimental observations show that the streamfunction contours agree well with viscous predictions at low Reynolds numbers; however, systematic deviations emerge as the Reynolds number increases. The inertial-MWS theory, an inertial extension of the Huh and Scriven framework, accounts for these deviations, but only within a narrow range of Reynolds numbers $10^{-1} < Re < 1$. At higher Reynolds numbers, inertial theory fails to accurately capture the deviations in the streamfunction contours observed in the experiments. Moreover, simulations conducted using the volume of fluid method support our findings, exhibiting deviations in streamfunction contours consistent with experimental observations. We demonstrate that inertia does not fundamentally alter the underlying flow configuration but instead induces a systematic deviation in the streamfunction contours. At finite $Re$, the interfacial speed transitions from a nearly constant value in the viscous regime to a monotonic decay along the interface. These findings expose the need for more sophisticated models of moving contact lines.
title Inertial effects on flow dynamics near a moving contact line
topic Fluid Dynamics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.28210