Electrohydrodynamic tuning of the migration characteristics of a sedimenting compound drop

Abstract Electrohydrodynamic sedimentation of simple drops has been a topic well-studied by researchers. However, electrohydrodynamic sedimentation of a compound drop would be critically influenced by the density of the involved phases and this has hitherto remained unaddressed. Herein, we develop a semi-analytical model for an eccentric compound drop settling under the action of gravity and an electric field using bispherical coordinates. The sedimentation velocity of the two drops (shell and core) is determined, and the same is applied to capture the influence of concomitant physical, hydrodynamic and electric properties on compound droplet sedimentation. The findings indicate that the compound drop may either sediment or de-sediment depending on the amount of eccentricity and its interplay with electrohydrodynamic parameters. Thereafter, the critical limit of eccentricity and time within which similar results are furnished by concentric and eccentric configurations is determined. It is found that, based on the property ratios, the eccentricity remains lower than 0.1 up to a non-dimensional time range of the order of 102–103, within which both the configurations can furnish a similar solution.