Electric Charge-Induced Active Control of Nucleate and Rapid Film Boiling at the Nanoscale: a Molecular Perspective

Abstract

An effort has been made to understand the nucleate and the rapid film boiling phenomena under the influence of an electric field using a molecular viewpoint. The behavior of water molecules with a solid copper surface during the film boiling process in the presence of an electric field of different intensities has been studied. The molecular reasoning behind the suppression of the Leidenfrost phenomenon upon application of a uniform electric field along the heating substrate is established. Furthermore, the effect of surface characteristics with different wettabilities on film boiling in the presence of an electric field has also been studied. The electric field produces a finger-like water column besides thinning of the water film over a non-wetting surface. A similar phenomenon is also evident over a hydrophilic surface only after reaching a threshold value of electric charge intensity. Molecular simulations have explained the phenomenon of nucleate boiling of water on hydrophilic or non-wetting surfaces. Finally, the ability to control the bubble formation and suppression at a required location using an electric field has also been demonstrated. The water molecules near the surface experience dispersion at a lower electric field and an attraction force at a higher electric field, mimicking bubble nucleation and suppression, respectively.

Molecular dynamics simulation of thermal transport across a solid/liquid interface created by a meniscus

“…The three-phase contact line is the line separating three different phases for instance solid, liquid and gas. The line often appears in the physical processes like nucleate boiling, 30 meniscus characteristics, 30 crystallization occurrence 31 etc. The energy transport close to the three-phase contact line is important for understanding: the heat transfer under phase change, [32][33][34] the contact photothermally-induced bubbles grow, 35 different thermal capillary problems 36,37 or the various physical-based theranostic modalities.…”

Transforming Droplets into Liquid Films in Nanochannels under Rotating Electric Fields Studied by Molecular Dynamics

“…In terms of phase transitions, molecular dynamics studies have shown that vapor condensation on the solid surface can be modulated by electric fields . The electric field strength and surface wetting properties have important effects on the boiling behavior of water molecule films . It can be found that in combination with the solid surface properties, the applied external electric field is expected to result in various interesting kinetic properties from fluids.…”