Fabrication, characterization, and wettability analysis of a microstructured hybrid hydrophobic/hydrophilic surface
This thesis explores the effects of surface chemistry and geometry on wettability of Hybrid Surfaces. The Hybrid Surfaces are composed of many micropillars with hydrophobic sidewalls and hydrophilic tops. The surfaces are designed with stable dropwise condensation in mind, which can increase heat fluxes by an order of magnitude over those of filmwise condensation. Based on the literature and technical constraints on fabrication, four Hybrid Surfaces are designed, fabricated, characterized and tested for wettability. A model based on energy minimization is referenced and fits well to the experimental data. Experiments suggest a composite interface for droplets resting on the surface due to increasing advancing and receding angles with tower spacing. Future work is anticipated to include droplet nucleation and growth experiments, and quantification of the thermal performance during condensation.
Hydrophobic, Hydrophilic, Hybrid Surface, Wettability, Condensation, Dropwise Condensation, Contact Angle, Microscale
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign