The Spreading Characteristics of Droplets Impacting Wheat Leaves Based on the VOF Model

Abstract

Given the problem that droplets cannot stay on the surfaces of leaves and wet them effectively, resulting in high levels of pesticide input and environmental pollution, this work studied the dynamic behaviors of droplets with different diameters (400–550 um) falling on the surfaces of wheat leaves from different heights (2–16 cm) using contact angle-measuring instruments and a high-speed camera. The VOF method in Fluent software was used to establish a numerical model of droplets impacting the surfaces of wheat leaves. The results show that with an increase in the initial diameter and initial velocity of a droplet, the maximum diameter of the droplet during the spreading process also gradually increases. After a droplet impacts a wheat leaf, the droplet-spreading diameter first increases and then decreases. The maximum droplet spreading rate, βmax, increases with an increase in the Weber number, βmax ∈We14, which is consistent with the existing theory. The results of this study lay a foundation for studying the spread of droplets on the surfaces of leaves, which is conducive to improving the rate of pesticide utilization.