Associate Professor
Virginia Tech
Abstract
When micro-droplets coalesce on a low adhesion substrate, they dramatically jump off the surface (Figure 1). Here, we develop the underlying fluid mechanics of jumping droplets and present 15 variations on a theme of capillary-inertial jumping. In addition to being a fun and visceral illustration of the power of surface tension at the micro-scale, capillary-inertial jumping has the potential to improve the energy efficiency of a wide variety of practical systems. Examples include enhancing condensation heattransfer, enabling self-cleaning materials, combating frost formation, and even enhancing crop yields.
About Dr. Jonathan Boreyko
Jonathan Boreyko is an Associate Professor at Virginia Tech in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and runs the Nature-Inspired Fluids & Interfaces lab. His research lies at the intersection of interfacial fluid mechanics, phase-change heat transfer, and materials science. He has over 80 publications and is best known for co-discovering jumping-droplet condensation, inter-droplet ice bridging during frost growth, and harvesting fog with harps. He is an Associate Editor for Droplet and the International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer.