Direct numerical simulations of a thin liquid film coating an axially oscillating cylindrical surface

Liquid films on cylindrical bodies like wires or fibers disintegrate into droplets if their length exceeds a critical measure (Plateau–Rayleigh instability). Stabilization of such films can be achieved by an axial oscillation of the solid core provided that a suitable combination of forcing amplitude and frequency is given. To investigate the stabilizing effect, direct numerical simulations of the axisymmetric problem are conducted in this study. Thus, a modified volume-of-fluid solver is employed based on the open source library OpenFOAM®. The effect of film stabilization is demonstrated and the required conditions for a stable film configuration are found to be in accordance with other studies. Finally, parameter variations are conducted to investigate the influence on the long-term shape of the stabilized film surface.