Is dropwise condensation feasible? A review on surface modifications for continuous dropwise condensation and a profitability analysis

Recurrent filmwise and dropwise condensation on a beetle mimetic surface.

Vapor condensation plays a key role in a wide range of industrial applications including power generation, thermal management, water harvesting and desalination. Fast droplet nucleation and efficient droplet departure as well as low interfacial thermal resistance are important factors that determine the thermal performances of condensation; however, these properties have conflicting requirement...

Dropwise Condensation of Low Surface Tension Fluids on Omniphobic Surfaces

Compared to the significant body of work devoted to surface engineering for promoting dropwise condensation heat transfer of steam, much less attention has been dedicated to fluids with lower interfacial tension. A vast array of low-surface tension fluids such as hydrocarbons, cryogens, and fluorinated refrigerants are used in a number of industrial applications, and the development of passive ...

Continuous Droplet Removal upon Dropwise Condensation of Humid Air on a Hydrophobic Micropatterned Surface

Combination of two physical phenomena, capillary pressure gradient and wettability gradient, allows a simple two-step fabrication process that yields a reliable hydrophobic self-cleaning condenser surface. The surface is fabricated with specific microscopic topography and further treatment with a chemically inert low-surface-energy material. This process does not require growth of nanofeatures ...

Condensate Drop Movement by Surface Temperature Gradient on Heat Transfer Surface in Marangoni Dropwise Condensation

Scale effect on dropwise condensation on superhydrophobic surfaces.

Micro/nano (two-tier) structures are often employed to achieve superhydrophobicity. In condensation, utilizing such a surface is not necessarily advantageous because the macroscopically observed Cassie droplets are usually in fact partial Wenzel in condensation. The increase in contact angle through introducing microstructures on such two-tier roughened surfaces may result in an increase in dro...