Microfibers formation in two-phase fluid flowing in a channel with the abrupt constriction: Numerical modeling

Abstract

Abstract Numerical modeling was used to study the patterns of droplet deformation in two-phase Newtonian fluids flowing through a three-dimensional rectangular microchannel with a sharp narrowing. The elongation of single droplets of different viscosities was investigated in different channel zones. Calculations were carried out for different confinement parameter—the ratio of droplet diameter to the gap thickness. The increase in this parameter was shown to lead to the substantial increase in the droplet relative elongation. The effect of coalescence to microfiber formation in flowing emulsion was considered.