Micro-scale Modelling Challenges in Electric Field Assisted Capillarity

Electric field Assisted Capillarity (EFAC) is a novel method for the fabrication of hollow microstructures in polymers. It involves both electrostatic and multiphase fluid dynamics modelling with special attention paid to surface tension due to the large capillary forces involved. This presents several challenges in the modelling, firstly due to the small scale involved (Domain sizes of 10-300 micron) and secondly due to the large electrostatic and dielectric forces involved in the process. In addition the small scale creates large curvatures resulting in modelling stability which can be difficult to handle numerically. This paper considers the phase field technique for modelling the free surface flows involved in the process and why the proposed micro-scale technique is numerically more stable than other commonly used level set techniques.