Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-19T06:16:46.368Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Imbibition in geometries with axial variations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 November 2008

MATHILDE REYSSAT
Affiliation:
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
LAURENT COURBIN
Affiliation:
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
ETIENNE REYSSAT
Affiliation:
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
HOWARD A. STONE
Affiliation:
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA

Abstract

When surface wetting drives liquids to invade porous media or microstructured materials with uniform channels, the penetration distance is known to increase as the square root of time. We demonstrate, experimentally and theoretically, that shape variations of the channel, in the flow direction, modify this ‘diffusive’ response. At short times, the shape variations are not significant and the imbibition is still diffusive. However, at long times, different power-law responses occur, and their exponents are uniquely connected to the details of the geometry. Experiments performed with conical tubes clearly show the two theoretical limits. Several extensions of these ideas are described.

Type
Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Bell, J. M. & Cameron, F. K. 1906 The flow of liquids through capillary spaces. J. Phys. Chem. 10, 658674.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bico, J., Tordeux, C. & Quéré, D. 2001 Rough wetting. Europhys. Lett. 55, 214220.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Courbin, L., Denieul, E., Dressaire, E., Roper, M., Ajdari, A. & Stone, H. A. 2007 Imbibition by polygonal spreading on microdecorated surfaces. Nature Materials 06, 661664.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dullien, F. A. L. 1979 Porous Media. Fluid Transport and Pore Structure. Academic.Google Scholar
Dussaud, A. D., Adler, P. M. & Lips, A. 2003 Liquid transport in the networked microchannels of the skin surface. Langmuir 19, 73417345.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Erickson, D., Li, D. & Park, C. B. 2002 Numerical simulations of capillary-driven flows in nonuniform cross-sectional capillaries. J. Colloid Interface Sci. 250, 422430.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Krotov, V. V. & Rusanov, A. I. 1999 Physicochemical Hydrodynamics of Capillary Systems. Imperial College Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lucas, V. R. 1918 Ueber das zeitgesetz des kapillaren aufstiegs von flüssigkeiten. Kolloid Zeistschrift 23, 1522.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Polzin, K. A. & Choueiri, E. Y. 2003 A similarity parameter for capillary flows. J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 36, 31563167.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Romero, L. A. & Yost, F. G. 1996 Flow in an open channel capillary. J. Fluid Mech. 322, 109129.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rye, R. R., Yost, F. G. & O'Toole, E. J. 1998 Capillary flow in irregular surface grooves. Langmuir 14, 39373943.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Warren, P. B. 2004 Late stage kinetics for various wicking and spreading problems. Phys. Rev. E 69, 041601.Google ScholarPubMed
Washburn, E. W. 1921 The dynamics of capillary flow. Phys. Rev. 17, 273283.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weislogel, M. M. & Lichter, S. 1998 Capillary flow in an interior corner. J. Fluid Mech. 373, 349378.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Young, W. B. 2004 Analysis of capillary flows in non-uniform cross-sectional capillaries. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochem. Engng Aspects 234, 123128.CrossRefGoogle Scholar