We propose a passive technique for a drop to climb along the staircase textured surface using chemical wettability gradients. The stair structure, droplet configuration, and contact angle gradient are modeled using Lagrangian smoothed particle hydrodynamics. The stair climb efficiency of the droplet is found to be a function of wettability gradient strength. Using analytical balance of actuation and resistive forces across droplets, physical reasons behind stair climbing are established and influencing parameters are identified. Evolution of the droplet shape along with the advancing and the receding contact angles is presented from where instantaneous actuation and hysteresis forces are calculated. Using history of Lagrangian particles, circulation at the foot of stairs and progressing development of the advancing drop front are monitored. Higher efficiency in stair climbing in the case of a bigger sized drop than smaller one is obtained from simulation results and realized from force balance. Difficulty in climbing steeper stairs is also demonstrated to delineate the effect of gravitational pull against the actuation force due to the wettability gradient.
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Proposition of stair climb of a drop using chemical wettability gradient
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July 2017
Research Article|
July 11 2017
Proposition of stair climb of a drop using chemical wettability gradient
Prabh P. S. Seerha;
Prabh P. S. Seerha
1
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, IIT Roorkee
, Roorkee 247667, India
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Parmod Kumar;
Parmod Kumar
1
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, IIT Roorkee
, Roorkee 247667, India
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Arup K. Das;
Arup K. Das
a)
1
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, IIT Roorkee
, Roorkee 247667, India
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Sushanta K. Mitra
Sushanta K. Mitra
2
Lassonde School of Engineering, York University
, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada
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a)
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: arupdas80@gmail.com
Physics of Fluids 29, 072103 (2017)
Article history
Received:
March 28 2017
Accepted:
May 26 2017
Citation
Prabh P. S. Seerha, Parmod Kumar, Arup K. Das, Sushanta K. Mitra; Proposition of stair climb of a drop using chemical wettability gradient. Physics of Fluids 1 July 2017; 29 (7): 072103. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4985213
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