Influence of Surface Wettability on Bubble Formation and Motion

Bubble dynamics plays an important role in boiling heat transfer, and surface wettability affects bubble behaviors. In the present work, the effects of surface superhydrophilicity (SHI) and super-hydrophobicity (SHO) on bubble dynamics are experimentally studied by observing the formation and motion behaviors of air bubbles and vapor bubbles on varied surfaces. For air bubbles to better mimic vapor bubbles, the air bubbles are introduced in a water pool by injecting airflow from a through hole of the surface. Air bubble tests are first conducted on homogeneous SHO and SHI surfaces, respectively. It is observed that surface wettability significantly affects the bubble size and departure frequency. To discover the dynamic behaviors of a bubble under both SHI and SHO, a biphilic surface with SHI and SHO areas is fabricated, and air bubbles are injected right on the biphilic border between the two areas. It is observed the wettability contrast significantly displaces the air bubbles, which spread only onto the SHO area. The biphilic surface is fabricated for the pool boiling test. Vapor bubbles are observed at different stages of the nucleate boiling, showing surface effects similar to the observations of air bubbles. Not only does this study present the influence of surface wettability on air and vapor bubble behaviors but also it provides useful implications for understanding and optimizing the biphilic surface design for enhancing boiling heat transfer.