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Levitation conditions for condensing droplets over heated liquid surfaces
Dmitry V Zaitsev1, Dmitry P Kirichenko1, Oleg A Kabov2
1Institute of Thermophysics, SB RAS, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia.
Soft Matter
|May 5, 2021
Summary
We developed models for microscale droplet levitation over evaporating liquids. Our findings show droplet size dictates levitation height, matching experimental data.
Area of Science:
- Fluid dynamics
- Thermodynamics
- Microscale phenomena
Background:
- Evaporation-driven phenomena are crucial in various scientific fields.
- Understanding droplet behavior during evaporation is key to controlling microscale processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the physics governing microscale droplet levitation over evaporating liquid layers.
- To develop predictive models for droplet levitation height based on droplet size and evaporation dynamics.
Main Methods:
- Experimental observation of microscale droplet levitation.
- Development of mathematical models balancing gravity, Stokes force, and Stefan flow.
- Utilizing diffusion models to determine Stefan flow velocity.
Main Results:
- Established a model for maximum droplet size based on gravity and Stefan flow.
- Quantified Stefan flow velocity using diffusion models around levitating droplets.
- Demonstrated that levitation height is dependent on droplet size.
- Showed experimental data collapses onto a single model-predicted curve across various conditions.
Conclusions:
- The developed model accurately predicts microscale droplet levitation height.
- Evaporation-driven Stefan flow is the primary mechanism for droplet levitation.
- The study provides a unified framework for understanding droplet levitation phenomena.
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