| Tue March 19th 2013 15:30 HR W121 | Seminar | From Jumping Drops to Thermal Diodes Chuan-Hua Chen |
Details:On a superhydrophobic surface, condensate droplets can spontaneously jump off the surface upon coalescence. The self-propelled motion results from the surface energy released upon drop coalescence, while the out-of-plane jumping results from the superhydrophobic substrate breaking the symmetry of energy release. In this talk, we will first illustrate the physical mechanisms of the self-propelled jumping by comparing experimental results with a 3D phase-field simulation. We will then discuss two applications of jumping drops: a new self-cleaning mechanism for water-repellent surfaces that works in the absence of external forces, and a planar phase-change thermal diode that is inherently scalable to large areas. | ||
