Liquid dielectric

About: Liquid dielectric is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 3702 publications have been published within this topic receiving 45150 citations.

The electrohydrodynamic stability of a liquid bridge: microgravity experiments on a bridge suspended in a dielectric gas

Abstract: The electrohydrodynamic stability of a liquid bridge was studied in steady and oscillatory axial electric fields with a novel apparatus aboard a space shuttle. To avoid interphase transport, which complicates matters in terrestrial, matched-density systems, the experiments focused on a liquid column surrounded by a dielectric gas. The micro-gravity acceleration level aboard the spacecraft kept the Bond number small; so interface deformation by buoyancy was negligible. To provide microgravity results for comparison with terrestrial data, the behaviour of a castor oil bridge in a silicone oil matrix liquid was studied first. The results from these experiments are in excellent agreement with earlier work with isopycnic systems as regards transitions from a perfect cylinder to the amphora shape and the separation of an amphora into drops. In addition, the location of the amphora bulge was found to be correlated with the field direction, contrary to the leaky dielectric model but consistent with earlier results from terrestrial experiments. Next, the behaviour of a bridge surrounded by a dielectric gas, sulphur hexa fluoride (SF6), was investigated. In liquid–gas experiments, electrohydrodynamic ejection of liquids from ‘Taylor cones’ was used to deploy fluid and form bridges by remote control. Experiments with castor oil bridges in SF6 identified the conditions for two transitions: cylinder–amphora, and pinch-off. In addition, new behaviour was uncovered with liquid–gas interfaces. Contrary to expectations based on perfect dielectric behaviour, castor oil bridges in SF6 could not be stabilized in AC fields. On the other hand, a low-conductivity silicone oil bridge, which could not be stabilized by a DC field, was stable in an AC field.

Theory of the Maxwell pressure tensor and the tension in a water bridge

Abstract: A water bridge refers to an experimental "flexible cable" made up of pure de-ionized water, which can hang across two supports maintained with a sufficiently large voltage difference. The resulting electric fields within the de-ionized water flexible cable maintain a tension that sustains the water against the downward force of gravity. A detailed calculation of the water bridge tension will be provided in terms of the Maxwell pressure tensor in a dielectric fluid medium. General properties of the dielectric liquid pressure tensor are discussed along with unusual features of dielectric fluid Bernoulli flows in an electric field. The "frictionless" Bernoulli flow is closely analogous to that of a superfluid.

Three-dimensional finite amplitude electroconvection in dielectric liquids

Abstract: Charge injection induced electroconvection in a dielectric liquid lying between two parallel plates is numerically simulated in three dimensions (3D) using a unified lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). Cellular flow patterns and their subcritical bifurcation phenomena of 3D electroconvection are numerically investigated for the first time. A unit conversion is also derived to connect the LBM system to the real physical system. The 3D LBM codes are validated by three carefully chosen cases and all results are found to be highly consistent with the analytical solutions or other numerical studies. For strong injection, the steady state roll, polygon, and square flow patterns are observed under different initial disturbances. Numerical results show that the hexagonal cell with the central region being empty of charge and centrally downward flow is preferred in symmetric systems under random initial disturbance. For weak injection, the numerical results show that the flow directly passes from the motionless state ...