Bouncing characteristics of an elliptical footprint drop on a solid surface

Bouncing dynamics of drops on solid surfaces have gained increasing importance in a wide range of practical applications, such as surface cooling, coating, and agricultural spray. Here, we investigate the bouncing characteristics of elliptical footprint drops on nonwetting surfaces through numerical simulation. The bouncing dynamics are investigated as a function of the geometric aspect ratio (AR), impact velocity, and effective interfacial tension. During bouncing, drop splashing occurs at high AR, high impact velocity, and low interfacial tension because the conditions enable liquid to be highly elongated and well-aligned along one horizontal axis before bouncing. We determine a splash regime for varying ARs and Weber numbers. Momentum analyses in horizontal axes reveal that the underlying mechanism of splashing can be interpreted as retarded retraction and low retraction momentum during bouncing at high AR and Weber number. This work can offer potential implications for the control of bouncing dynamics with drop shape and broaden our fundamental understanding of elliptical drop dynamics after the impact.