In this paper, we investigate both experimentally and theoretically the dynamics of a liquid plug driven by a cyclic periodic forcing inside a cylindrical rigid capillary tube. First, it is shown that, depending on the type of forcing (flow rate or pressure cycle), the dynamics of the liquid plug can either be stable and periodic, or conversely accelerative and eventually leading to plug rupture. In the latter case, we identify the sources of the instability as: (i) the cyclic diminution of the plug viscous resistance to motion due to the decrease in the plug length and (ii) a cyclic reduction of the plug interfacial resistance due to a lubrication effect. Since the flow is quasi-static and the forcing periodic, this cyclic evolution of the resistances relies on the existence of flow memories stored in the length of the plug and the thickness of the trailing film. Second, we show that, contrary to unidirectional pressure forcing, cyclic forcing enables breaking of large plugs in a confined space although it requires longer times. All the experimentally observed tendencies are quantitatively recovered from an analytical model. This study not only reveals the underlying physics but also opens up the prospect for the simulation of ‘breathing’ of liquid plugs in complex geometries and the determination of optimal cycles for obstructed airways reopening.

No abstract

In this paper, we study experimentally and theoretically the dynamics of liquid plugs in rectangular microchannels for both unidirectional and cyclic pressure forcing. In both cases, it is shown that the transition between quasi-static and dynamic film deposition behind the liquid plug leads to a dramatic acceleration of the plug, rapidly leading to its rupture. This behaviour proper to channels with sharp corners is recovered from a reduced dimension model based on previous theoretical and numerical developments. In addition, it is shown for cyclic periodic forcing that the plug undergoes stable periodic oscillations if it remains in the quasi-static film deposition regime during the first cycle, while otherwise it accelerates cyclically and ruptures. The transition between these two regimes occurs at a pressure-dependent critical initial length, whose value can be predicted theoretically.