Modeling Leidenfrost Levitation of Soft Elastic Solids
Jack Binysh1, Indrajit Chakraborty2, Mykyta V Chubynsky2
1Department of Physics, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom.
Physical Review Letters
|November 5, 2023
Summary
The elastic Leidenfrost effect describes how soft solids bounce on hot surfaces due to vapor flow and deformation. Heavier solids can float higher, revealing a new physics regime governed by elasticity and material properties.
Area of Science:
- Thermodynamics
- Elasticity
- Fluid Dynamics
- Soft Matter Physics
Background:
- The Leidenfrost effect typically involves liquids levitating on a vapor layer above a hot surface.
- The elastic Leidenfrost effect, involving soft solids, couples evaporative flow with elastic deformation.
- Existing theoretical descriptions for the elastic Leidenfrost effect are limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a theoretical framework for the elastic Leidenfrost floating phenomenon.
- To investigate the relationship between solid weight, elastic deformation, and float height.
- To characterize the crossover between rigid and elastic behaviors.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical modeling of vaporizable soft solids interacting with a hot surface.
- Derivation of scaling laws for float height based on material properties.
- Introduction of a dimensionless elastic Leidenfrost number to quantify behavior.
Main Results:
- Identified an elasticity-dominated regime where increased weight leads to higher float heights.
- Demonstrated Hertzian contact mechanics govern the solid's underbelly in this regime.
- Derived equations for float height scaling with material parameters.
Conclusions:
- The developed theory explains recent experimental observations of elastic Leidenfrost floating.
- The findings reveal a unique interplay between thermodynamics, elasticity, and lubrication.
- This research opens avenues for designing novel soft machines and understanding material behavior at interfaces.
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