The evolution of two miscible liquids meeting at an initially sharp interface inside a cavity under microgravity g-jitter conditions is studied numerically. The response of the interface and kinematics of the flowfield to various g-jitter accelerations and aspect ratio variations is shown. The interface region acts like a vortex source sheet, and it can be unstable to Kelvin-Helmholtz and Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities. The vortices produced along the interface can serve as a stirring mechanism to promote local mixing. Below the critical Stokes-Reynolds number, the destabilization of the interface results in deformation into wavy structures. In some parameter regions, these structures oscillate in time; in others, they are quasi-steady. Above the critical Stokes-Reynolds number, 'chaotic' instability results, and the interface breaks into concentration pockets. The morphology of the initial breakup is similar to observed Rayleigh-Taylor instability. Subsequent mixing of the two fluids after the breakup of the interface is then very rapid.


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    Title :

    Interfacial dynamics of two liquids under an oscillating gravitational field


    Contributors:

    Published in:

    Publication date :

    1990-11-01



    Type of media :

    Miscellaneous


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English