This article develops a numerical model to predict thermocapillary droplet motion in a closed microchannel, A finite volume method with a moving grid is used to establish the coupled pressure/velocity fields at the droplet/air interface. Unlike past studies with a uniform interfacial pressure, the implicit pressure/velocity coupling yields new data of fluid re-circulation in the corners of the micro-droplet. This interfacial pressure becomes coupled to the re-circulating velocity field within the micro-droplet. Adaptive mesh refinement is applied at the moving interface with control points to adjust the grid spacing, The predicted results indicate that the external pressure difference across the micro-droplet decreases nearly linearly during the heating period.
展开▼
