Computations of form and stability of rotating drops with finite elements

We consider the problem of a drop rotating rigidly at a fixed angular velocity. The centrifugal forces are balanced by the surface tension alone. The volume of the drop is a prescribed constant. Subject of this work is the numerical computation of families of such equilibrium shapes and of their bifurcation behaviour. The bifurcation parameter is the angular velocity. This problem has been treated numerically by R.A. Brown and L.E. Scriven in 1980. We present an algorithm which avoids an explicit global parametrisation of the drop surface and which does not need artificial conjectures about the symmetry of the drops. We use ideas introduced by G. Dziuk for computing evolutionary surfaces. The results of our numerical experiments extend the results formerly found by Brown and Scriven and reveal several new branches of spheroidal drop shapes. Furthermore, drop shapes of annular type have been computed, branching from an axisymmetric family of tori which was found by R. Gulliver in 1984.

Grantor dc:publisher

Publikationsserver der RWTH Aachen University

Year dc:date

2003

Author dc:creator

• Heine, Claus-Justus

Contributors dc:contributor

• Bemelmans, Josef

• info:eu-repo/classification/ddc/530
• Tropfen
• Gleichgewichtsfigur rotierender Flüssigkeiten
• Finite-Elemente-Methode
• Physik
• nicht belegt

Statement dc:rights

• info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

https://publications.rwth-aachen.de/search?p=id:%22RWTH-CONV-121026%22

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:publications.rwth-aachen.de:59221