Effect of Droplet Morphology on Growth Dynamics and Heat Transfer during Condensation on Superhydrophobic Nanostructured Surfaces

Condensation on superhydrophobic nanostructured surfaces offers new opportunities for enhanced energy conversion, efficient water harvesting, and high performance thermal management. These surfaces are designed to be Cassie stable and favor the formation of suspended droplets on top of the nanostructures as compared to partially wetting droplets which locally wet the base of the nanostructures. These suspended droplets promise minimal contact line pinning and promote passive droplet shedding at sizes smaller than the characteristic capillary length. However, the gas films underneath such droplets may significantly hinder the overall heat and mass transfer performance. We investigated droplet growth dynamics on…