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Computer simulations of phase field drops on super-hydrophobic surfaces

TitleComputer simulations of phase field drops on super-hydrophobic surfaces
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2017
AuthorsFedeli, L
JournalJournal of Computational Physics
Volume344
Pagination247 - 259
ISSN0021-9991
KeywordsMultigrid; Phase field; Quasi-Newton; Super-hydrophobicity
Abstract

We present a novel quasi-Newton continuation procedure that efficiently solves the system of nonlinear equations arising from the discretization of a phase field model for wetting phenomena. We perform a comparative numerical analysis that shows the improved speed of convergence gained with respect to other numerical schemes. Moreover, we discuss the conditions that, on a theoretical level, guarantee the convergence of this method. At each iterative step, a suitable continuation procedure develops and passes to the nonlinear solver an accurate initial guess. Discretization performs through cell-centered finite differences. The resulting system of equations is solved on a composite grid that uses dynamic mesh refinement and multi-grid techniques. The final code achieves three-dimensional, realistic computer experiments comparable to those produced in laboratory settings. This code offers not only new insights into the phenomenology of super-hydrophobicity, but also serves as a reliable predictive tool for the study of hydrophobic surfaces.

URLhttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002199911730356X
DOI10.1016/j.jcp.2017.04.068

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