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Journal ArticleDOI

The propagation of two-dimensional and axisymmetric viscous gravity currents over a rigid horizontal surface

01 Aug 1982-Journal of Fluid Mechanics (Cambridge University Press)-Vol. 121, Iss: -1, pp 43-58
TL;DR: In this paper, the viscous gravity current that results when fluid flows along a rigid horizontal surface below fluid of lesser density is analyzed using a lubrication-theory approximation, and it is shown that the effect on the gravity current of the motion in the upper fluid can be expressed as a condition of zero shear on the unknown upper surface of the current.
Abstract: The viscous gravity current that results when fluid flows along a rigid horizontal surface below fluid of lesser density is analysed using a lubrication-theory approximation. It is shown that the effect on the gravity current of the motion in the upper fluid can be expressed as a condition of zero shear on the unknown upper surface of the gravity current. With the supposition that the volume of heavy fluid increases with time like F, where a is a constant, a similarity solution to the governing nonlinear partial differential equations is obtained, which describes the shape and rate of propagation of the current. The viscous theory is shown to be valid for t & t, when a -c a, and for t -4 t, when a > a,, where t, is the transition time at which the inertial and viscous forces are equal, with a, = $ for a two-dimensional current and a, = 3 for an axisymmetric current. The solutions confirm the functional forms for the spreading relationships determined for a = 1 in the preceding paper by Didden & Maxworthy (1982), as well as evaluating the multiplicative factors appearing in the relationships. The relationships compare very well with experimental measurements of the axisymmetric spreading of silicone oils into air for a = 0 and 1. There is also very good agreement between the theoretical predictions and the measurements of the axisymmetric spreading of salt water into fresh water reported by Didden & Maxworthy and by Britter (1979). The predicted multiplicative constant is within 10 Yo of that measured by Didden & Maxworthy for the spreading of salt water into fresh water in a channel.

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Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a unified mathematical theory is presented that takes advantage of the disparity of the length scales and is based on the asymptotic procedure of reduction of the full set of governing equations and boundary conditions to a simplified, highly nonlinear, evolution equation or to a set of equations.
Abstract: Macroscopic thin liquid films are entities that are important in biophysics, physics, and engineering, as well as in natural settings. They can be composed of common liquids such as water or oil, rheologically complex materials such as polymers solutions or melts, or complex mixtures of phases or components. When the films are subjected to the action of various mechanical, thermal, or structural factors, they display interesting dynamic phenomena such as wave propagation, wave steepening, and development of chaotic responses. Such films can display rupture phenomena creating holes, spreading of fronts, and the development of fingers. In this review a unified mathematical theory is presented that takes advantage of the disparity of the length scales and is based on the asymptotic procedure of reduction of the full set of governing equations and boundary conditions to a simplified, highly nonlinear, evolution equation or to a set of equations. As a result of this long-wave theory, a mathematical system is obtained that does not have the mathematical complexity of the original free-boundary problem but does preserve many of the important features of its physics. The basics of the long-wave theory are explained. If, in addition, the Reynolds number of the flow is not too large, the analogy with Reynolds's theory of lubrication can be drawn. A general nonlinear evolution equation or equations are then derived and various particular cases are considered. Each case contains a discussion of the linear stability properties of the base-state solutions and of the nonlinear spatiotemporal evolution of the interface (and other scalar variables, such as temperature or solute concentration). The cases reducing to a single highly nonlinear evolution equation are first examined. These include: (a) films with constant interfacial shear stress and constant surface tension, (b) films with constant surface tension and gravity only, (c) films with van der Waals (long-range molecular) forces and constant surface tension only, (d) films with thermocapillarity, surface tension, and body force only, (e) films with temperature-dependent physical properties, (f) evaporating/condensing films, (g) films on a thick substrate, (h) films on a horizontal cylinder, and (i) films on a rotating disc. The dynamics of the films with a spatial dependence of the base-state solution are then studied. These include the examples of nonuniform temperature or heat flux at liquid-solid boundaries. Problems which reduce to a set of nonlinear evolution equations are considered next. Those include (a) the dynamics of free liquid films, (b) bounded films with interfacial viscosity, and (c) dynamics of soluble and insoluble surfactants in bounded and free films. The spreading of drops on a solid surface and moving contact lines, including effects of heat and mass transport and van der Waals attractions, are then addressed. Several related topics such as falling films and sheets and Hele-Shaw flows are also briefly discussed. The results discussed give motivation for the development of careful experiments which can be used to test the theories and exhibit new phenomena.

2,689 citations


Cites background from "The propagation of two-dimensional ..."

  • ...VI. Figure 2, reproduced from Huppert (1982b), presents various patterns that emerge when a fluid sheet is released on an inclined plane....

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  • ...In geology, they appear as gravity currents under water or as lava flows (Huppert and Simpson, 1980; Huppert, 1982a)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the surface forces that lead to wetting are considered, and the equilibrium surface coverage of a substrate in contact with a drop of liquid is examined, while the hydrodynamics of both wetting and dewetting is influenced by the presence of the three-phase contact line separating "wet" regions from those that are either dry or covered by a microscopic film.
Abstract: Wetting phenomena are ubiquitous in nature and technology. A solid substrate exposed to the environment is almost invariably covered by a layer of fluid material. In this review, the surface forces that lead to wetting are considered, and the equilibrium surface coverage of a substrate in contact with a drop of liquid. Depending on the nature of the surface forces involved, different scenarios for wetting phase transitions are possible; recent progress allows us to relate the critical exponents directly to the nature of the surface forces which lead to the different wetting scenarios. Thermal fluctuation effects, which can be greatly enhanced for wetting of geometrically or chemically structured substrates, and are much stronger in colloidal suspensions, modify the adsorption singularities. Macroscopic descriptions and microscopic theories have been developed to understand and predict wetting behavior relevant to microfluidics and nanofluidics applications. Then the dynamics of wetting is examined. A drop, placed on a substrate which it wets, spreads out to form a film. Conversely, a nonwetted substrate previously covered by a film dewets upon an appropriate change of system parameters. The hydrodynamics of both wetting and dewetting is influenced by the presence of the three-phase contact line separating "wet" regions from those that are either dry or covered by a microscopic film only. Recent theoretical, experimental, and numerical progress in the description of moving contact line dynamics are reviewed, and its relation to the thermodynamics of wetting is explored. In addition, recent progress on rough surfaces is surveyed. The anchoring of contact lines and contact angle hysteresis are explored resulting from surface inhomogeneities. Further, new ways to mold wetting characteristics according to technological constraints are discussed, for example, the use of patterned surfaces, surfactants, or complex fluids.

2,501 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The dynamics and stability of thin liquid films have fascinated scientists over many decades: the observations of regular wave patterns in film flows along a windowpane or along guttering, the patterning of dewetting droplets, and the fingering of viscous flows down a slope are all examples that are familiar in daily life.
Abstract: The dynamics and stability of thin liquid films have fascinated scientists over many decades: the observations of regular wave patterns in film flows down a windowpane or along guttering, the patterning of dewetting droplets, and the fingering of viscous flows down a slope are all examples that are familiar in daily life. Thin film flows occur over a wide range of length scales and are central to numerous areas of engineering, geophysics, and biophysics; these include nanofluidics and microfluidics, coating flows, intensive processing, lava flows, dynamics of continental ice sheets, tear-film rupture, and surfactant replacement therapy. These flows have attracted considerable attention in the literature, which have resulted in many significant developments in experimental, analytical, and numerical research in this area. These include advances in understanding dewetting, thermocapillary- and surfactant-driven films, falling films and films flowing over structured, compliant, and rapidly rotating substrates, and evaporating films as well as those manipulated via use of electric fields to produce nanoscale patterns. These developments are reviewed in this paper and open problems and exciting research avenues in this thriving area of fluid mechanics are also highlighted.

1,226 citations

BookDOI
27 Sep 2001
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a detailed overview of the history of the field of flow simulation for MEMS and discuss the current state-of-the-art in this field.
Abstract: Part I: Background and Fundamentals Introduction, Mohamed Gad-el-Hak, University of Notre Dame Scaling of Micromechanical Devices, William Trimmer, Standard MEMS, Inc., and Robert H. Stroud, Aerospace Corporation Mechanical Properties of MEMS Materials, William N. Sharpe, Jr., Johns Hopkins University Flow Physics, Mohamed Gad-el-Hak, University of Notre Dame Integrated Simulation for MEMS: Coupling Flow-Structure-Thermal-Electrical Domains, Robert M. Kirby and George Em Karniadakis, Brown University, and Oleg Mikulchenko and Kartikeya Mayaram, Oregon State University Liquid Flows in Microchannels, Kendra V. Sharp and Ronald J. Adrian, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Juan G. Santiago and Joshua I. Molho, Stanford University Burnett Simulations of Flows in Microdevices, Ramesh K. Agarwal and Keon-Young Yun, Wichita State University Molecular-Based Microfluidic Simulation Models, Ali Beskok, Texas A&M University Lubrication in MEMS, Kenneth S. Breuer, Brown University Physics of Thin Liquid Films, Alexander Oron, Technion, Israel Bubble/Drop Transport in Microchannels, Hsueh-Chia Chang, University of Notre Dame Fundamentals of Control Theory, Bill Goodwine, University of Notre Dame Model-Based Flow Control for Distributed Architectures, Thomas R. Bewley, University of California, San Diego Soft Computing in Control, Mihir Sen and Bill Goodwine, University of Notre Dame Part II: Design and Fabrication Materials for Microelectromechanical Systems Christian A. Zorman and Mehran Mehregany, Case Western Reserve University MEMS Fabrication, Marc J. Madou, Nanogen, Inc. LIGA and Other Replication Techniques, Marc J. Madou, Nanogen, Inc. X-Ray-Based Fabrication, Todd Christenson, Sandia National Laboratories Electrochemical Fabrication (EFAB), Adam L. Cohen, MEMGen Corporation Fabrication and Characterization of Single-Crystal Silicon Carbide MEMS, Robert S. Okojie, NASA Glenn Research Center Deep Reactive Ion Etching for Bulk Micromachining of Silicon Carbide, Glenn M. Beheim, NASA Glenn Research Center Microfabricated Chemical Sensors for Aerospace Applications, Gary W. Hunter, NASA Glenn Research Center, Chung-Chiun Liu, Case Western Reserve University, and Darby B. Makel, Makel Engineering, Inc. Packaging of Harsh-Environment MEMS Devices, Liang-Yu Chen and Jih-Fen Lei, NASA Glenn Research Center Part III: Applications of MEMS Inertial Sensors, Paul L. Bergstrom, Michigan Technological University, and Gary G. Li, OMM, Inc. Micromachined Pressure Sensors, Jae-Sung Park, Chester Wilson, and Yogesh B. Gianchandani, University of Wisconsin-Madison Sensors and Actuators for Turbulent Flows. Lennart Loefdahl, Chalmers University of Technology, and Mohamed Gad-el-Hak, University of Notre Dame Surface-Micromachined Mechanisms, Andrew D. Oliver and David W. Plummer, Sandia National Laboratories Microrobotics Thorbjoern Ebefors and Goeran Stemme, Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden Microscale Vacuum Pumps, E. Phillip Muntz, University of Southern California, and Stephen E. Vargo, SiWave, Inc. Microdroplet Generators. Fan-Gang Tseng, National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan Micro Heat Pipes and Micro Heat Spreaders, G. P. "Bud" Peterson, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Microchannel Heat Sinks, Yitshak Zohar, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Flow Control, Mohamed Gad-el-Hak, University of Notre Dame) Part IV: The Future Reactive Control for Skin-Friction Reduction, Haecheon Choi, Seoul National University Towards MEMS Autonomous Control of Free-Shear Flows, Ahmed Naguib, Michigan State University Fabrication Technologies for Nanoelectromechanical Systems, Gary H. Bernstein, Holly V. Goodson, and Gregory L. Snider, University of Notre Dame Index

951 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, it is shown that the transport of magma in feeder dykes is characterized by a local balance between buoyancy forces and viscous pressure drop, that elastic forces play a secondary role except near the dyke tip and that the influence of the fracture resistance of crustal rocks on dyke propagation is negligible.
Abstract: The ubiquity of dykes in the Earth's crust is evidence that the transport of magma by fluid-induced fracture of the lithosphere is an important phenomenon. Magma fracture transports melt vertically from regions of production in the mantle to surface eruptions or near-surface magma chambers and then laterally from the magma chambers in dykes and sills. In order to investigate the mechanics of magma fracture, the driving and resisting pressures in a propagating dyke are estimated and the dominant physical balances between these pressures are described. It is shown that the transport of magma in feeder dykes is characterized by a local balance between buoyancy forces and viscous pressure drop, that elastic forces play a secondary role except near the dyke tip and that the influence of the fracture resistance of crustal rocks on dyke propagation is negligible. The local nature of the force balance implies that the local density difference controls the height of magma ascent rather than the total hydrostatic head and hence that magma is emplaced at its level of neutral buoyancy (LNB) in the crust. There is a small overshoot beyond this level which is calculated to be typically a few kilometres. Magma accumulating at the LNB will be intruded in lateral dykes and sills which are directed along the LNB by buoyancy forces since the magma is in gravitational equilibrium at this level. Laboratory analogue experiments demonstrate the physical principle of buoyancy-controlled propagation to and along the LNB. The equations governing the dynamics of magma fracture are solved for the cases of lithospheric ascent and of lateral intrusion. Volatiles are predicted to be exsolved from the melt at the tips of extending fractures due to the generation of low pressures by viscous flow into the tip. Chilling of magma at the edges of a dyke inhibits cross-stream propagation and concentrates the downstream flow into a wider dyke. The family of theoretical solutions in different geometries provides simple models which describe the relation between the elastic and fluid-mechanical phenomena and from which the lengths, widths and rates of propagation can be calculated. The predicted dimensions are in broad agreement with geological observations.

764 citations

References
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a broad investigation into the properties of steady gravity currents, in so far as they can be represented by perfect-fluid theory and simple extensions of it (like the classical theory of hydraulic jumps) that give a rudimentary account of dissipation.
Abstract: This paper presents a broad investigation into the properties of steady gravity currents, in so far as they can be represented by perfect-fluid theory and simple extensions of it (like the classical theory of hydraulic jumps) that give a rudimentary account of dissipation. As usually understood, a gravity current consists of a wedge of heavy fluid (e.g. salt water, cold air) intruding into an expanse of lighter fluid (fresh water, warm air); but it is pointed out in Q 1 that, if the effects of viscosity and mixing of the fluids at the interface are ignored, the hydrodynamical problem is formally the same as that for an empty cavity advancing along the upper boundary of a liquid. Being simplest in detail, the latter problem is treated as a prototype for the class of physical problems under study: most of the analysis is related to it specifically, but the results thus obtained are immediately applicable to gravity currents by scaling the gravitational constant according to a simple rule. In Q 2 the possible states of steady flow in the present category between fixed horizontal boundaries are examined on the assumption that the interface becomes horizontal far downstream. A certain range of flows appears to be possible when energy is dissipated; but in the absence of dissipation only one flow is possible, in which the asymptotic level of the interface is midway between the plane boundaries. The corresponding flow in a tube of circular cross-section is found in $3, and the theory is shown to be in excellent agreement with the results of recent experiments by Zukoski. A discussion of the effects of surface tension is included in 0 3. The two-dimensional energy-conserving flow is investigated further in Q 4, and finally a close approximation to the shape of the interface is obtained. In Q 5 the discussion turns to the question whether flows characterized by periodic wavetrains are realizable, and it appears that none is possible without a large loss of energy occurring. In $6 the case of infinite total depth is considered, relating to deeply submerged gravity currents. It is shown that the flow must always feature a breaking ‘head wave’, and various properties of the resulting wake are demonstrated. Reasonable agreement is established with experimental results obtained by Keulegan and others.

1,371 citations


"The propagation of two-dimensional ..." refers background or methods or result in this paper

  • ...The comparison between our theoretical results and the experimental ones presented by Didden & Maxworthy (1982) for the axisymmetric spreading of salt water into fresh water is also very good....

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  • ...The current is thus identical with one propagating with a free surface beneath fluid of negligible inertia. The resulting nonlinear partial differential equations have similarity solutions which yield the shape and rate of propagation of the current. For a = 1, the only case considered by Didden & Maxworthy, the calculated functional forms of the position of the front of the current as a function of time are the same as evaluated by them. Further, our calculated value for the constant of proportionality is in excellent agreement with those presented for axisymmetric currents by Britter (1979) and by Didden & Maxworthy, but 10 % higher than that presented by Didden & Maxworthy for two-dimensional currents....

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  • ...They also determined for t + t , dimensional relationships between the position of the front as a function of time and the external parameters. In a series of experiments they verified the functional forms of the position-versus-time relationships and evaluated the constants of proportionality from their experimental measurements. Previous studies of low-Reynolds-number gravity currents include those by Fay (1969) and Hoult (1972), who analysed the release of a fixed volume of relatively light fluid flowing under a free surface....

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  • ...These values were determined by dropping a series of different size ball bearings in the oil contained in a measuring cylinder and recording the terminal velocities. This approach led to errors of less than 1 Yo in determining the coefficients of viscosity. The experiments were designed to examine a new theory for the spreading of volcanic lava domes by Huppert et al. (1982) and further details of the experiments and geological applications can be found in that paper....

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  • ...(The relationships (2.15) and (2.27), used to commence the integration of the differential equations, are obtained from them and are not an externally imposed condition.) This lack of influence of the front will be true only if the Reynolds number is low and the Bond number is high. High-Reynolds-number gravity currents are totally controlled by conditions at the front, and many theoretical and experimental studies have been devoted almost entirely to determining the controlling condition, or Froude number, at the front (see, e.g. Benjamin 1968; Britter t Simpson 1978; Huppert & Simpson 1980). The front of a surface-tension-dominated (low-Bond-number) gravity current also plays an essential role in determining its spreading rate, as documented for example by Greenspan (1978) and Hocking (1981). However, while our approach has been successful in predicting the overall shape - as evidenced by the experimental measurements of height presented in $3 - it should not be thought that the vertical front common to all the solutions is realistic....

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a model for the movement of a small viscous droplet on a surface is constructed that is based on the lubrication equations and uses the dynamic contact angle to describe the forces acting on the fluid at the contact line.
Abstract: A model for the movement of a small viscous droplet on a surface is constructed that is based on the lubrication equations and uses the dynamic contact angle to describe the forces acting on the fluid at the contact line. The problems analysed are: the spreading or retraction of a circular droplet; the advance of a thin two-dimensional layer; the creeping of a droplet or cell on a coated surface to a region of greater adhesion; the distortion of droplet shape owing to surface contamination. Relevant biological problems concerning cell movement and adhesion are described.

613 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, it is shown that the gravity current can pass through three states: a slumping phase, a viscous phase, and a purely inertial phase, where the buoyancy force of the intruding fluid is balanced by the inertial force.
Abstract: Experimental results for the release of a fixed volume of one homogeneous fluid into another of slightly different density are presented, From these results and those obtained by previous experiments, it is argued that the resulting gravity current can pass through three states. There is first a slumping phase, during which the current is retarded by the counterflow in the fluidinto which it is issuing. The current remains in this slumping phase until the depth ratio of current to intruded fluid is reduced to less than about 0,075. This may be followed by a (previously investigated) purely inertial phase, wherein the buoyancy force of the intruding fluid is balanced by the inertial force. Motion in the surrounding fluid plays a negligible role in this phase. There then follows a viscous phase, wherein the buoyancy force is balanced by viscous forces. It is argued and confirmed by experiment that the inertial phase is absent if viscous effects become important before the slumping phase has been completed. R’elationships between spreading distance and time for each phase are obtained for all three phases for both two-dimensional and axisymmetric geometries. Some consequences of the retardation of the gravity current during the slumping phase are discussed.

592 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The drift due to wind may be estimated by arg uin g that the turbulent shear-stress law at the water interface is approximately the same in both the air and the water as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: winds and currents, and the second of the increase in area of the oil due to the tendency of the oil to spread in calm water. The drift due to wind may be estimated by arg uin g that the turbulent­ shear-stress law at the water interface is approximately the same in both the air and the water. If the wind velocity some distance (usually 10 meters) above the water surface is U, then the turbulent stress is

467 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A gravity current is the flow of one fluid within another caused by the density difference between the fluids as mentioned in this paper, and is a flow that can play an important role in the dynamics of the flow.
Abstract: A gravity current, or "density current," is the flow of one fluid within another caused by the density difference between the fluids The difference in specific weight that provides the driving force may be due to dissolved or suspended material or to temperature differences Gravity currents are primarily horizontal, occurring as either top or bottom boundary currents, or as intrusions at some intermediate level The fluids are usually miscible and the mixing that results can play an important part in the dynamics of the flow Since gravity currents are formed in many different natural situations and may also be man-made, knowledge of their properties is of importance in many scientific disciplines In the atmosphere, thunderstorm outflows and sea-breeze fronts are gravity currents of relatively cold dense air Atmospheric-suspension gravity currents include avalanches of airborne snow particles, also fiery avalanches and base surges formed from gases and solids issuing from volcanic eruptions Gravity currents have important applications in aircraft safety, atmo­ spheric pollution, entomology and pest control, and especially in dense-gas technology Industrial accidents in which gravity currents may be formed include the spread of a dense gas from an accidental release In the ocean, gravity currents are driven by salinity and temperature inhomogeneities, or as turbidity currents whose density derives from sus­ pended mud or silt Lines of foam and debris on the ocean surface may indicate the front of a gravity current, frequently brought about by tidal processes The latter also affect the behavior of gravity currents such as river plumes at the surface and salt wedges on a river bed The important problems related to oil spillage on the sea have been the subject of a review paper in this series (Hoult 1972)

432 citations