Effects of initial conditions on the simulation of inertial coalescence of two drops

A numerical study has been performed using a lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) for an incompressible binary fluid based on the Cahn-Hilliard diffuse interface approach to investigate the effects of initial conditions on the early stages of inertial coalescence. We focus on the effects of starting the simulation with two drops connected by a small finite contact radius, and two drops separated by a small finite distance, on the growth dynamics of the liquid bridge connecting the drops. For initially connected drops, we observed a slower initial growth of the bridge radius, and for initially separated drops, we found that, because of the diffuse interface dynamics, the bridge evolution is sensitive to the value of the initial separation between the drops. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.