Numerical investigation of the influence of surface wettability on water entry of spheres

The water-entry problem is a complex multiphase hydrodynamic problem that is directly related to many engineering applications and natural phenomena, such as torpedo airdrops, seaplane landings, and ship slamming. Therefore, studying the influence of the microscopic properties of the object surface on the macroscopic phenomenon during water entry is necessary. In this study, the volume of fluid model and continuum surface force models are coupled to establish a multiphase flow numerical method for the water entry of objects considering surface wettability. The effect of surface wettability on the evolution of the cavity, multiphase flow-field structure, and hydrodynamic force characteristics are analyzed in detail. The results show that the movement of liquid film formed on the surface of the sphere at the early stage is the key to the formation of the cavity. For hydrophobic spheres, the liquid film separates near the equator of the sphere, and air enters it to form a cavity. At the moment of pinch-off, the pressure in the lower cavity increases, which generates a force that pushes the sphere to accelerate the fall, and this force is higher for spheres with a smaller density ratio. The flow-field structure shows that both rotational and shear effects play a dominant role in the evolution of the flow field in the cavity. For hydrophilic spheres, the liquid film follows the contact line along the surface of the sphere and converges at the top to form an upward jet.