Condensate droplet roaming on nanostructured superhydrophobic surfaces

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Lam, Cheuk Wing Edmond, Regulagadda, Kartik, Donati, Matteo, Tripathy, Abinash, Pal, Gopal Chandra, Sharma, Chander Shekhar, Milionis, Athanasios, Poulikakos, Dimos
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2023
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author Lam, Cheuk Wing Edmond
Regulagadda, Kartik
Donati, Matteo
Tripathy, Abinash
Pal, Gopal Chandra
Sharma, Chander Shekhar
Milionis, Athanasios
Poulikakos, Dimos
author_facet Lam, Cheuk Wing Edmond
Regulagadda, Kartik
Donati, Matteo
Tripathy, Abinash
Pal, Gopal Chandra
Sharma, Chander Shekhar
Milionis, Athanasios
Poulikakos, Dimos
contents Jumping of coalescing condensate droplets from superhydrophobic surfaces is an interesting phenomenon which yields marked heat transfer enhancement over the more explored gravity-driven droplet removal mode in surface condensation, a phase change process of central interest to applications ranging from energy to water harvesting. However, when condensate microdroplets coalesce, they can also spontaneously propel themselves omnidirectionally on the surface independent of gravity and grow by feeding from droplets they sweep along the way. Here we observe and explain the physics behind this phenomenon of roaming of coalescing condensate microdroplets on solely nanostructured superhydrophobic surfaces, where the microdroplets are orders of magnitude larger than the underlaying surface nanotexture. We quantify and show that it is the inherent asymmetries in droplet adhesion during condensation, arising from the stochastic nature of nucleation within the nanostructures, that generates the tangential momentum driving the roaming motion. Subsequent dewetting during this conversion initiates a vivid roaming and successive coalescence process, preventing condensate flooding of the surface, and enhancing surface renewal. Finally, we show that the more efficient conversion process of roaming from excess surface energy to kinetic energy results in significantly improved heat transfer efficiency over condensate droplet jumping, the mechanism currently understood as maximum.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2310_11382
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Condensate droplet roaming on nanostructured superhydrophobic surfaces
Lam, Cheuk Wing Edmond
Regulagadda, Kartik
Donati, Matteo
Tripathy, Abinash
Pal, Gopal Chandra
Sharma, Chander Shekhar
Milionis, Athanasios
Poulikakos, Dimos
Fluid Dynamics
Jumping of coalescing condensate droplets from superhydrophobic surfaces is an interesting phenomenon which yields marked heat transfer enhancement over the more explored gravity-driven droplet removal mode in surface condensation, a phase change process of central interest to applications ranging from energy to water harvesting. However, when condensate microdroplets coalesce, they can also spontaneously propel themselves omnidirectionally on the surface independent of gravity and grow by feeding from droplets they sweep along the way. Here we observe and explain the physics behind this phenomenon of roaming of coalescing condensate microdroplets on solely nanostructured superhydrophobic surfaces, where the microdroplets are orders of magnitude larger than the underlaying surface nanotexture. We quantify and show that it is the inherent asymmetries in droplet adhesion during condensation, arising from the stochastic nature of nucleation within the nanostructures, that generates the tangential momentum driving the roaming motion. Subsequent dewetting during this conversion initiates a vivid roaming and successive coalescence process, preventing condensate flooding of the surface, and enhancing surface renewal. Finally, we show that the more efficient conversion process of roaming from excess surface energy to kinetic energy results in significantly improved heat transfer efficiency over condensate droplet jumping, the mechanism currently understood as maximum.
title Condensate droplet roaming on nanostructured superhydrophobic surfaces
topic Fluid Dynamics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2310.11382