LeidenForce Advanced Leidenfrost Effect

Summary

When a liquid droplet is placed on a solid surface with a temperature significantly higher than the boiling point of the liquid, the droplet hovers above the surface on a thin layer of its own vapor, a phenomenon known as the Leidenfrost effect. While this effect is highly undesirable in certain cooling applications due to the reduced energy transfer between the solid and evaporating liquid caused by the poor heat conductivity of the vapor, it can be of significant interest in various processes where avoiding contact with the surface is advantageous.

The LeidenForce project aims to comprehensively study the Leidenfrost effect and propose novel applications, either to mitigate its adverse effects or leverage its advantages. LeidenForce intends to (i) shift the fundamental understanding of the transition to the Leidenfrost state, (ii) optimize the heat transfer between the droplet and the substrate, (iii) utilize the isolated droplet to manipulate small amounts of liquid in unconventional scenarios (e.g., on a liquid surface, within a channel), and (iv) harness the vapor film to capture or confine particles using an external electrical field.

The practical implications will be leveraged by non-academic institutions involved in aviation (such as AIRBUS), metallurgy (CRM), cryogenics (Air Liquide), and space exploration (Centre Spatial de Liège). In aviation, managing cryogenic fuel is a crucial step toward achieving zero-emission flights. In metallurgy, innovative cooling methods will be developed based on mitigating the Leidenfrost effect. Air Liquide will address cooling issues by introducing particles into the evaporating liquid to modify the Leidenfrost effect. Lastly, at the Centre Spatial de Liège, Leidenfrost droplets will be utilised to delicately clean surfaces by trapping particles within these contactless droplets.

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