Title: Modelling of heat and fluid flow during the evaporation of volatile drops on hot substrates

Authors: Khellil Sefiane, Jack Cameron

Addresses: School of Engineering and Electronics, University of Edinburgh Kings Building, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JL, UK. ' School of Engineering and Electronics, University of Edinburgh Kings Building, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JL, UK

Abstract: In this paper a review on the convective patterns observed during sessile droplets evaporation is performed. A model describing a pinned evaporating drop is introduced; the numerical resolution of the model allows the description of heat and fluid flow within the drop. The role of humidity in the gas phase is investigated, by taking into account the vapour diffusion process. It is shown that the change in substrate temperature has the most important effect on the evaporation rate. The results show that surface tension in comparison to the gravity convection is more accurate in describing evaporation of small droplets.

Keywords: droplet evaporation; wetting; Marangoni; Rayleigh; small droplets; modelling; heat transfer; fluid flow; volatile drops; hot substrates; numerical simulation; humidity; gas phase; vapour diffusion; surface tension; gravity convection; temperature.

DOI: 10.1504/PCFD.2006.010778

Progress in Computational Fluid Dynamics, An International Journal, 2006 Vol.6 No.6, pp.363 - 370

Published online: 30 Aug 2006 *

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