The Effect of Macroscopic and Microscopic Patterns of Stainless Steel Surface on the Efficiency of Dropwise Condensation and Precipitation

Atmospheric water generator (AWG) technologies are considered a potential new source of freshwater. Thermoelectric (TEC) dehumidifiers are one of this technology where it uses the Peltier effect to create a heat flux at the junction of two different materials. This device is well known for its therm...

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Main Authors: Fatema Zohra, Muzaffer Akanda, Bahram Asiabanpour
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Deer Hill Publications 2021-07-01
Series:International Journal of Engineering Materials and Manufacture
Online Access:https://deerhillpublishing.com/index.php/ijemm/article/view/179
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author Fatema Zohra
Muzaffer Akanda
Bahram Asiabanpour
author_facet Fatema Zohra
Muzaffer Akanda
Bahram Asiabanpour
author_sort Fatema Zohra
collection DOAJ
description Atmospheric water generator (AWG) technologies are considered a potential new source of freshwater. Thermoelectric (TEC) dehumidifiers are one of this technology where it uses the Peltier effect to create a heat flux at the junction of two different materials. This device is well known for its thermoelectric cooling application, from as small as portable beverage coolers to as big as submarines. The problems of using this device are ice buildup and relatively low efficiency. If the surface of the material can be engineered in a way that the dropwise condensation, as well as precipitation from the cooling plate, is enhanced, it is possible to maximize the efficiency of TEC-driven AWG with minimum energy consumption. This study investigates the effects of macroscopic (bump/dent, patterns that are visible to the human eye) and microscopic patterns (surface finish, quality, grain distribution, etc. visible under a microscope) on industry-grade stainless (SS) surfaces on dropwise condensation and precipitation. The surface contact angle is considered here to understand the hydrophobic/hydrophilic properties of the surfaces before and after applying hydrophobic coating under constant ambient conditions. Better droplet nucleation and quicker precipitation have been observed on the surfaces after treating a hydrophilic and hydrophobic surface with hydrophobic spray. It can be inferred that even though the initial surface property of the two samples were different, it was possible to achieve similar level of super hydrophobicity after applying the spray. This proves that surfaces can be modified with appropriate treatment to achieve desired properties.
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spelling doaj.art-5db23ac92c864060a7ced153ecbac91f2022-12-21T17:42:53ZengDeer Hill PublicationsInternational Journal of Engineering Materials and Manufacture0128-18522021-07-016310.26776/ijemm.06.03.2021.07The Effect of Macroscopic and Microscopic Patterns of Stainless Steel Surface on the Efficiency of Dropwise Condensation and PrecipitationFatema Zohra0Muzaffer Akanda1Bahram Asiabanpour2Texas State UniversityTexas State UniversityTexas State UniversityAtmospheric water generator (AWG) technologies are considered a potential new source of freshwater. Thermoelectric (TEC) dehumidifiers are one of this technology where it uses the Peltier effect to create a heat flux at the junction of two different materials. This device is well known for its thermoelectric cooling application, from as small as portable beverage coolers to as big as submarines. The problems of using this device are ice buildup and relatively low efficiency. If the surface of the material can be engineered in a way that the dropwise condensation, as well as precipitation from the cooling plate, is enhanced, it is possible to maximize the efficiency of TEC-driven AWG with minimum energy consumption. This study investigates the effects of macroscopic (bump/dent, patterns that are visible to the human eye) and microscopic patterns (surface finish, quality, grain distribution, etc. visible under a microscope) on industry-grade stainless (SS) surfaces on dropwise condensation and precipitation. The surface contact angle is considered here to understand the hydrophobic/hydrophilic properties of the surfaces before and after applying hydrophobic coating under constant ambient conditions. Better droplet nucleation and quicker precipitation have been observed on the surfaces after treating a hydrophilic and hydrophobic surface with hydrophobic spray. It can be inferred that even though the initial surface property of the two samples were different, it was possible to achieve similar level of super hydrophobicity after applying the spray. This proves that surfaces can be modified with appropriate treatment to achieve desired properties.https://deerhillpublishing.com/index.php/ijemm/article/view/179
spellingShingle Fatema Zohra
Muzaffer Akanda
Bahram Asiabanpour
The Effect of Macroscopic and Microscopic Patterns of Stainless Steel Surface on the Efficiency of Dropwise Condensation and Precipitation
International Journal of Engineering Materials and Manufacture
title The Effect of Macroscopic and Microscopic Patterns of Stainless Steel Surface on the Efficiency of Dropwise Condensation and Precipitation
title_full The Effect of Macroscopic and Microscopic Patterns of Stainless Steel Surface on the Efficiency of Dropwise Condensation and Precipitation
title_fullStr The Effect of Macroscopic and Microscopic Patterns of Stainless Steel Surface on the Efficiency of Dropwise Condensation and Precipitation
title_full_unstemmed The Effect of Macroscopic and Microscopic Patterns of Stainless Steel Surface on the Efficiency of Dropwise Condensation and Precipitation
title_short The Effect of Macroscopic and Microscopic Patterns of Stainless Steel Surface on the Efficiency of Dropwise Condensation and Precipitation
title_sort effect of macroscopic and microscopic patterns of stainless steel surface on the efficiency of dropwise condensation and precipitation
url https://deerhillpublishing.com/index.php/ijemm/article/view/179
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