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Thermocapillary Convection Space Experiment on the SJ-10 Recoverable Satellite
Published on: March 11, 2020
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Multicellular structures in thin free liquid films induced by thermocapillary effect.
Takahiro Homma1, Tokiya Yamashita1, Ryohei Wada1
1Division of Mechanical Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda, 278-8510, Chiba, Japan.
Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
|March 19, 2023
Summary
Thermocapillary effect drives multicellular structures in liquid films. Cell number increases with film width, revealing new cell pairs and influencing wavelength. This study clarifies pattern formation in free liquid films.
Area of Science:
- Fluid dynamics
- Heat transfer
- Surface science
Background:
- Multicellular convective structures form in fluids with temperature differences.
- Thermocapillary effect induces flow patterns in free liquid films.
- Formation mechanisms of these multicellular structures remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the formation of multicellular convective structures in free liquid films.
- Analyze the relationship between liquid-film width and cell number.
- Determine the wavelength of these structures and compare them to Marangoni-Bénard convection.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a thin film of high-Prandtl-number liquid in a rectangular aperture.
- Imposed a temperature difference to induce thermocapillary-driven convection.
- Employed experimental and numerical methods to monitor thermal flow patterns, cell numbers, and wavelengths.
Main Results:
- Confirmed the establishment of multicellular structures by thermocapillary effect in free liquid films.
- Observed a stepwise increase in cell number with increasing liquid-film width.
- Found that new cell pairs emerge as cell numbers increase, and determined the wavelength variation with aspect ratio.
Conclusions:
- The study elucidates the formation of multicellular convective structures in free liquid films driven by thermocapillary effects.
- Provides quantitative data on cell number and wavelength variations with film geometry.
- Offers insights comparable to Marangoni-Bénard convection studies.
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