A two-dimensional numerical model for the sliding motion of liquid drops by the particle finite element method

Liquid drops sliding on surfaces are ubiquitous both in the natural and industrial world. The prediction of such drop motions has far-reaching implications in many fields of application, including microfluidics, phase change heat transfer, or coating technology. We present a numerical model based on the particle finite element method for the prediction of the sliding motion of liquid drops. The model includes the effect of a retention force which acts in the vicinity of the drop's contact line. This effect is found to be essential to obtain realistic spatiotemporal evolution of the drop. Thus far limited to two-dimensional simulations, the proposed model is validated by using experimental data found in the published literature, covering a wide range of drop size and physical properties. The numerical results are found to be mesh-independent and in good agreement with the experiments.