Droplet evaporation during dropwise condensation due to deposited volatile organic compounds

During dropwise condensation on a hydrophobic surface, it is intuitively assumed that droplets will grow with time. However, it can be observed that some droplets follow an opposite fate and instead disappear. This happens, for example, close to hygroscopic particles as they alter the local relative...

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Main Authors: Xiongjiang Yu, Carlos Alberto Dorao, Maria Fernandino
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: AIP Publishing LLC 2021-08-01
Series:AIP Advances
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/5.0056005
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author Xiongjiang Yu
Carlos Alberto Dorao
Maria Fernandino
author_facet Xiongjiang Yu
Carlos Alberto Dorao
Maria Fernandino
author_sort Xiongjiang Yu
collection DOAJ
description During dropwise condensation on a hydrophobic surface, it is intuitively assumed that droplets will grow with time. However, it can be observed that some droplets follow an opposite fate and instead disappear. This happens, for example, close to hygroscopic particles as they alter the local relative humidity. Here, we show that evaporation of droplets during dropwise condensation on a smooth surface can occur due to local changes in the surface wettability. These local changes in the wettability are found to be a consequence of deposited volatile organic compounds that create nanostructures in the region where a droplet was previously condensed and evaporated. A new droplet that forms or lands on the mentioned nanostructures experiences a suspended wetting state with a higher thermal resistance. This droplet can grow up to a critical size controlled by the contact resistance of the nano-structures and will then evaporate when surrounded by neighboring colder droplets in a normal or partial wetting state.
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spelling doaj.art-c47e245700434e1a89d2998f1b3b69782022-12-21T18:36:34ZengAIP Publishing LLCAIP Advances2158-32262021-08-01118085202085202-810.1063/5.0056005Droplet evaporation during dropwise condensation due to deposited volatile organic compoundsXiongjiang Yu0Carlos Alberto Dorao1Maria Fernandino2Department of Energy and Process Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, N-7491 Trondheim, NorwayDepartment of Energy and Process Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, N-7491 Trondheim, NorwayDepartment of Energy and Process Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, N-7491 Trondheim, NorwayDuring dropwise condensation on a hydrophobic surface, it is intuitively assumed that droplets will grow with time. However, it can be observed that some droplets follow an opposite fate and instead disappear. This happens, for example, close to hygroscopic particles as they alter the local relative humidity. Here, we show that evaporation of droplets during dropwise condensation on a smooth surface can occur due to local changes in the surface wettability. These local changes in the wettability are found to be a consequence of deposited volatile organic compounds that create nanostructures in the region where a droplet was previously condensed and evaporated. A new droplet that forms or lands on the mentioned nanostructures experiences a suspended wetting state with a higher thermal resistance. This droplet can grow up to a critical size controlled by the contact resistance of the nano-structures and will then evaporate when surrounded by neighboring colder droplets in a normal or partial wetting state.http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/5.0056005
spellingShingle Xiongjiang Yu
Carlos Alberto Dorao
Maria Fernandino
Droplet evaporation during dropwise condensation due to deposited volatile organic compounds
AIP Advances
title Droplet evaporation during dropwise condensation due to deposited volatile organic compounds
title_full Droplet evaporation during dropwise condensation due to deposited volatile organic compounds
title_fullStr Droplet evaporation during dropwise condensation due to deposited volatile organic compounds
title_full_unstemmed Droplet evaporation during dropwise condensation due to deposited volatile organic compounds
title_short Droplet evaporation during dropwise condensation due to deposited volatile organic compounds
title_sort droplet evaporation during dropwise condensation due to deposited volatile organic compounds
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/5.0056005
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AT carlosalbertodorao dropletevaporationduringdropwisecondensationduetodepositedvolatileorganiccompounds
AT mariafernandino dropletevaporationduringdropwisecondensationduetodepositedvolatileorganiccompounds