Daniel Arnaldo del Cerro

arXiv2013

Fast & Scalded: Capillary Leidenfrost Droplets in micro-Ratches

In this Fluid Dynamics Videos submitted to the 31st Gallery of Fluid Motion, (find a different version here http://youtu.be/CS0c05WQ_js) we illustrate the special dynamics of capillary self-propelled Leidenfrost droplets in micrometric Ratchets. In order to be able to propel water droplets of sizes of the order of 1 mm, micro-ratchets were produced by direct material removal using a picosecond pulsed laser source. Surface micro-patterning with picosecond laser pulses allows creating a well controlled topography on a variety of substrates, with a resolution typically in the micron range. More information can be found in references.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2012

Capillary droplets on Leidenfrost micro-ratchets

Leidenfrost ratchets are structures with the ability of transporting liquid droplets when heated over the critical Leidenfrost temperature. Once this temperature is reached, the droplet levitates over the surface and moves in the direction marked by the slope of the ratchet at terminal velocities around 10 cm/s. Here we provide new experiments with micron-sized ratchets, which have been produced with picosecond pulse laser ablation. In the following work, we use a simple method to measure the thrust driving droplets of capillary size over the micro-ratchets. The mechanism responsible for the force acting on the drop on superheated ratchets has been recently under debate. We extend the recently proposed 'viscous mechanism' proposed by Dupeaux et al. [Europhys. Lett., 96, 58001 (2011)] to capillary droplets and find good agreement with our measurements.

physics.flu-dyn↗