Coalescence-induced self-propelled jumping of three droplets on non-wetting surfaces: Droplet arrangement effects

Coalescence-induced self-propelled droplet jumping has attracted extensive attention because of its huge potential for enhancing dropwise condensation heat transfer, anti-icing, and self-cleaning. Most previous studies focus on binary droplet jumping, with little research on the more complex and realistic multi-droplet jumping. As a result, the effect of the droplet arrangement on the multi-droplet jumping phenomenon remains unclear. In this paper, the self-propelled jumping of three droplets with different arrangements (two droplets are fixed, and the location of the third one is changed) is numerically simulated, and energy conversion efficiency is studied. Based on two different forming mechanisms, region I (the coalescence between the lateral droplets forms the central liquid bridge) and region II (the changed interface curvature of central droplets turns into the central liquid bridge under surface tension) are defined in three-droplet arrangements. The liquid bridges exhibit different dynamic behaviors in two particular regions, even the jumping velocity is determined by the moving synchronicity of liquid bridges in each region. The critical distribution angle that leads to the overall nonmonotonic change of jumping velocities ranges between 110 degrees and 120 degrees (0.02 <= Oh <= 0.16). Compared with the symmetry of the droplet configuration, the geometry of the droplet arrangement plays a dominate role in the nonmonotonic change. The maximum energy conversion efficiency is just over 6.5% and the minimum is just under 3%. The findings of this study not only reveal how the arrangement affects ternary droplet jumping and explain the phenomenon that cannot be explained before, but deepens our understanding of multi-droplet jumping as well.