The Deformation of a Liquid Metal Droplet Under Continuous Acceleration in a Variable Cross-Section Groove

This paper constructs a numerical simulation model for the deformation of droplets in a variable cross-section groove of a liquid droplet MEMS switch under different directions, amplitudes, frequencies, and waveforms of acceleration. The numerical simulation utilizes the level set method to monitor the deformation surface boundary of the metal droplets. The simulation outcomes manifest that when the negative impact acceleration on the <i>X</i>-axis is 12.9 m/s², the negative impact acceleration on the <i>Y</i>-axis is 90 m/s², the negative impact acceleration on the <i>Z</i>-axis is 34.5 m/s², and the metal droplet interfaces with the metal electrode. The droplet deformation under the effect of a sine wave acceleration signal in the X and Y directions is lower than that under impact acceleration, while in the Z direction, the deformation is higher than that under impact acceleration. The deformation of metal droplets under square wave acceleration is more pronounced than that under sinusoidal wave acceleration. The deformation escalates with the augmentation in square wave amplitude and dwindles with the reduction in square wave acceleration frequency. Furthermore, there exists a phase difference between the deformation curve of the metal droplet and the continuous acceleration signal curve, and the phase difference is dependent of the material properties of the metal droplet. This work elucidates the deformation of the liquid-metal droplets under continuous acceleration and furnishes the foundation for the continuous operation design of MEMS droplet switches.