arXiv subjects

Gopal Chandra Pal

Publications and source records attributed to Gopal Chandra Pal.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Pinning mediated coalescence-induced lateral droplet motion on nanotextured superhydrophobic surface

Droplets coalescing on a superhydrophobic surface exhibit coalescence-induced droplet jumping. However, water vapor condensing on a superhydrophobic surface can result in simultaneous formation of condensate droplets with two distinct wetting states, cassie state (CS) and partially wetting (PW) state. Droplets in PW state exhibit high contact angle but are connected to the substrate though a thin liquid condensate column. Coalescence between CS and PW droplets has been recently identified as a possible mechanism for generating droplets exhibiting in-plane roaming motion during dropwise condensation on nanotextured superhydrophobic surfaces. Here, we systematically investigate this phenomenon through experiments on coalescence between sessile droplets in CS and PW state on a nanostructured superhydrophobic surface endowed with a micro-scale hydrophilic spot. Here, a sessile droplet carefully placed on the hydrophilic spot simulates the PW state. Overall, our investigations demonstrate that when a CS droplet coalesces with a PW droplet pinned to a hydrophilic defect, the interaction generates substantial in-plane momentum. We find that when the coalescing CS and PW droplets are nearly of the same size and about ~3 to ~3.5 times the size of the hydrophilic spot pinning the PW droplet, the vertical momentum generation is nearly completely suppressed, and the resulting maxima in in-plane momentum results in detachment of merged droplet from hydrophilic spot and its subsequent in-plane motion.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2025

Non-coalescence and in-plane momentum generation in sessile droplet clusters

Intuitively, droplets in proximity merge when brought into contact. However, under certain conditions, they may not coalesce due to the entrapment of an interstitial gas film. Non-coalescence between water droplets has so far been observed during collisions of droplets moving with relative centroidal velocity, or in the presence of specific enabling effects such as high intervening gas pressures, surfactants, or large droplet sizes (diameter $\gtrsim 1~\mathrm{mm}$). Here, we report non-coalescence between water droplets over a much wider range of droplet diameters, from millimeters to as small as 100 microns, without the need for any of the above factors. Such non-coalescence occurs in sessile droplet clusters on water-repellent surfaces. When any two droplets in a cluster coalesce, the evolving interface of the coalescing droplets comes in apparent contact with other neighbouring droplets in the cluster, but does not necessarily trigger further coalescence. In fact, such apparent contact can manifest as a bouncing interaction, and depending on the initial geometric arrangement of droplets, it can result in significant lateral momentum generation, consequently leading to spontaneous in-plane self-propulsion of the participating droplets. The energy conversion efficiency of this process reaches as high as 9\% for closely packed clusters of three sessile droplets and increases further with an increase in the number of participating droplets. The resulting self-propulsion of such small droplets reveals a new pathway for passive droplet removal and surface renewal during dropwise condensation on superhydrophobic surfaces, critical in multiple applications.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2023

Condensate droplet roaming on nanostructured superhydrophobic surfaces

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.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2023

Controlled coalescence-induced droplet jumping on flexible superhydrophobic substrates

Sessile droplets coalescing on superhydrophobic substrates spontaneously jump from the surface. In this process, the excess surface energy available at the initiation of coalescence overcomes the minimal surface adhesion and manifests as sufficient kinetic energy to propel the droplets away from the substrate. Here, we show that the coalescence induced droplet jumping velocity is significantly curtailed if the superhydrophobic substrate is flexible in nature. Through detailed experimental measurements and numerical simulations, we demonstrate that the droplet jumping velocity and jumping height can be reduced by as much as 40 % and 64%, respectively, by synergistically tuning the substrate stiffness and substrate frequency. We show that this hitherto unexplored aspect of droplet coalescence jumping can be gainfully exploited in water harvesting from dew and fog harvesting. Additionally, through an exemplar butterfly wing substrate, we demonstrate that this effect is likely to manifest on many natural superhydrophobic substrates due to their inherent flexibility.

physics.flu-dyn↗