Droplet evaporation on a structured surface: The role of near wall vortexes in heat and mass transfer

Experimental studies on the evaporation of a drop located on a horizontal hot wall with cavities of different diameters of 0.5-2.5 mm were carried out. The wall temperature T-w was constant (74 degrees C and 83 degrees C). The evaporation behavior on a structured surface was compared with that on a smooth wall. Instantaneous velocity profiles have been obtained over a single cavity and in the vicinity of several cavities using the Micro Particle Image Velocity method (Micro PIV). It has been established that a hotter liquid is periodically ejected from the cavity, which increases convection inside the drop. The strongest intensification of mass transfer is specific for the largest cavities with a diameter of 2.5 mm. The behavior of the droplet evaporation on a smooth wall coincides with that on a structured surface with a cavity diameter of 0.5 mm. Until now, there have been no data that would link the convection in the drop with the vortexes in the cavity at non-isothermal evaporation and at high heat fluxes. The strongest influence of cavities is manifested in the initial period of evaporation, when a cold drop is placed on a hot wall. Over time, the evaporation rate on a structured wall approaches evaporation on a smooth (unstructured) surface. The article considers the influence of several key factors on the convection in a drop. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.