Abstract
The formation of bubbles on an orifice plate involves a moving contact line, especially in case of poor wet-
ting conditions. The dynamics of the moving contact line and contact angle have a significant impact on
the bubble departure size. Therefore, for the numerical simulation, an appropriate contact line boundary
condition is essential for a correct prediction of the bubble formation. Numerical tests have been per-
formed on two kinds of contact line models, one is a contact line velocity dependent model (Model-A,
a commonly used model) and the other is a stick-slip model (Model-B). The calculation results using
Model-A depend greatly on the prescribed maximum contact line velocity. With Model-B a parameter-
independent prediction can be obtained provided that the mesh is sufficiently fine. The dynamic advanc-
ing and receding contact angles, which are two required inputs to both models, have a significant
influence on the predicted bubble departure diameter, if the contact line moves beyond the inner rim
of the orifice. The effect of wettability on the bubble departure size is realized via the variation of the
maximum contact diameter. When the contact line sticks to a small region near the inner rim of the ori-
fice, such as the bubble formation on a thin-walled nozzle, the effects of the contact angle and contact
line models are negligible.
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