Frequency dependence in the dynamics of a ball bouncing on a vibrating fluid bath

Abstract

While several experimental and numerical studies have investigated the problem of a ball bouncing on a vibrating solid surface and that of a droplet bouncing on a vibrating fluid bath, there is currently limited information on the case of a rigid ball bouncing on a vibrating fluid bath. This work explores the latter case through smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations of a vibrating sphere-fluid system at fixed amplitude but varying excitation frequency. Results from numerical simulations reveal that frequency is a key factor in determining whether the relationship between the sphere’s translational and rotational motions will be positive, negative, or negligible. At an amplitude of 0.001 m and fluid height of 20 mm, translational and rotational motions are positively correlated at 30 Hz but negatively correlated at 60 Hz.