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The equilibrium shape and stability of menisci formed between two touching cylinders

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 April 2006

A. E. Sáez  and
R. G. Carbonell
A. E. Sáez
Affiliation:
Departamento de Termodinámica, Universidad Simón Bólivar, P.O. Box 80659, Caracas 1080A, Venezuela
R. G. Carbonell
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695–7905, USA
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Abstract

The equilibrium shape and stability of menisci formed at the contact line between two vertically aligned cylinders were investigated by developing a general bifurcation analysis from the classic equation of Young-Laplace. It was found that the maximum amount of liquid that can be held at the contact line is determined by the existence of a bifurcation of the equilibrium solutions. The onset of instability is characterized by a translationally symmetric bifurcation that always precedes the instability to asymmetric perturbations. The maximum stable liquid retention is a strong function of the ratio of gravitational to surface-tension forces, indicating that gravity acts as a destabilizing force. The effect of contact angle on the maximum liquid retention is more complex: when the gravitational effects are small, an increase in contact angle results in a decrease in liquid retention; on the other hand, when the gravitational effects are appreciable, a maximum value of the liquid retention is obtained for intermediate values of the contact angle.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 176 , March 1987 , pp. 357 - 378
Copyright
© 1987 Cambridge University Press

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