Droplet impact onto a porous substrate: a Wagner theory for early-stage spreading

An analytical model for droplet impact onto a porous substrate is presented, based on Wagner theory. An idealised substrate boundary condition is introduced, mimicking the effect of fluid entry into a genuinely porous substrate. The asymptotic analysis yields a solution for a small porous correction with free-surfaces and pressures compared with the impermeable case. On a global scale, it is found that the impact region on the substrate grows more slowly with porosity included due to loss of mass into the substrate. The spatial distribution of liquid volume flux into the substrate is also described. Locally near the turn-over regions, the expected jetting along the surface is calculated with the same volume flux but the jet is found to be slower and thicker than for an impermeable substrate.