Mapping droplet impact regimes on heated and unheated surfaces

• Grant number: 22/13480-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2022
• End date: October 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Mechanical Engineering - Transport Phenomena
• Principal Investigator: Arthur Vieira da Silva Oliveira
• Grantee: Luigi Paero Leitao
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/01897-0 - Experimental study of droplets impact onto heated walls using combined optical techniques: single droplets, multiple droplets and sprays, AP.JP

Abstract

Droplets impact is still largely studied in the literature because of its many applications in the industry, like metallurgy, nuclear energy, automotive, electronics, food, and others. A new experimental bench for multiple droplet impact and spray cooling will be constructed at the Mechanical Engineering Department at EESC in USP. However, before making a step forward on studying multiple droplets impact, it is important to validate the new bench with single droplet impacts. The objective of this undergraduate research is to perform single droplet impact experiments with unheated and heated surfaces and build an impact regime map with the results. The student will use Shadowgraph as the technique to visualize the droplet impact, measuring its shape, diameter and velocity, and Total Internal Reflection to measure the solid-liquid contact area. The variable parameters will be the droplet impact velocity and surface temperature. Moreover, preliminary experiments of multiple droplet impact an unheated surface will also be performed; more precisely, tests with one droplet impacting another droplet already deposited on the surface (droplet-on-droplet impact).