Effect of the thermophysical properties of the liquid on the rupture of a film under a thermal load. Role of the Prandtl number

The rupture of freely hanging liquid films depending on the Prandtl number is considered. The process is studied using a mathematical model based on two-dimensional Navier–Stokes equations which describes the motion of a thin layer of a nonisothermal viscous liquid in microgravity. It is shown that if the temperature on the entire free surface is given in advance, the lifetime of the film, the character of the rupture, and the position of the free surface, with the set of forces taken into account in the model, do not depend on the Prandtl number. If temperature is specified only in some region of the free surface, and on the rest of the surface, it is to be determined in the process of solving the problem, the Prandtl number plays an important role. Results of solution of model problems are presented.