A scaling-law approach to liquid impact - Devaraj van der Meer, University of Twente

Devaraj van der Meer, Professor, University of Twente

Abstract: The impact of liquid masses onto solid substrates constitutes a research field of paramount importance for many applications. These range from the microscopic scale of, e.g., inkjet printing, to large-scale oceanic wave impacts onto maritime structures, and many of them have been active, but largely disconnected research topics for many decades. In this work, we investigate to what extent the many phenomena observed within this vast range of impact parameters can be captured and connected using simple scaling laws. With focus on determining the pressures occurring during impact, we formulate a framework that aims to incorporate the influence of gas compressibility, air cushioning, liquid compressibility, and surface instabilities. This approach leads to remarkable conclusions, e.g., why for droplets impacting at low and moderate speeds liquid compressibility is expected to play no significant role.

About the Speaker: Devaraj van der Meer studied theoretical high-energy physics in Leiden in the Netherlands and, after spending several beautiful years as a high-school and college physics teacher, obtained his PhD in 2004 in experimental granular physics, after a radical switch of topics. He is currently professor in the Physics of Fluid group at the University of Twente, also in the Netherlands, where he is working on a broad range of topics ranging from granular physics, via liquid impact problems, to mass and heat transfer. He is Applied Physics Chair, member of the Dutch Physics Council and is a Vidi and a Vici laureate within the Dutch Talent programme.      

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Tuesday, March 2, 2021, 3 p.m.
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