Numerical simulation of water drop deformation under electrical fields in oil fields

The separation of a fluid from an immiscible liquid can be used in many natural ways. Traditional methods are currently used to accomplish this process. In this study, we attempted to investigate the effect of changes in the geometric radius of the water droplet in the oil medium and applied voltage to provide outputs that can be used to better design water separating electro-filter for crude oil. Furthermore, the most important innovation of this article is to study considering the effects of the presence and absence of Earth s gravity. The results of this work show that changes in geometry and voltage were effective in the deformation and movement of the drops, but their effects were not significant compared to the presence and absence of gravity. In other words, the effect of considering Earth’s gravity in this study tends to make the results realistic, and the results would not be comparable to those obtained in the absence of Earth’s gravity. © 2024 Sharif University of Technology.