An Experimental Characterization of Capillary Driven Flows in Microgravity

This work investigates the capillary rise dynamics of highly wetting liquids in a divergent U-tube in the microgravity conditions provided by 78th European Space Agency (ESA) parabolic flight. This configuration produces a capillary-driven channel flow. We use image recording in backlight illumination to characterize the interface dynamics and dynamic contact angle of HFE7200 and Di-Propylene Glycol (DPG). For the case of HF7200, we complement the interface measurements with Particle Tracking Velocimetry (PTV) to characterize the velocity fields underneath the moving meniscus. In the DPG experiments, varying liquid column heights are observed, with a notable decrease in meniscus curvature when the contact line transitions from a pre-wetted to a dry substrate. In contrast, for HFE7200, the interface consistently advances over a pre-wetted surface. Despite this, a reduction in meniscus curvature is detected, attributed to inertial effects within the underlying accelerating flow. PTV measurements reveal that the region where the velocity profile adapts to the meniscus velocity decreases as interface acceleration increases, suggesting a direct relationship between acceleration and the velocity adaptation length scale.