Coalescence-induced droplet jumping on superhydrophobic surfaces with non-uniformly distributed micropillars

The phenomenon of droplet jumping induced by coalescence holds significant potential for application in diverse areas such as water collection, self-cleaning, and thermal management of electronic devices. In comparison to a flat surface, a superhydrophobic surface with structure can affect the interaction between the droplet and the surface, thereby affecting parameters such as the droplet jumping velocity. In this study, numerical simulation was used to examine the similarities and differences of coalescence-induced droplet jumping on superhydrophobic surfaces with uniform and non-uniform micropillars, as well as the effect of micropillar non-uniformity on droplet jumping. The results indicated that the non-uniform distribution of micropillars could lead to asymmetries in the shrinkage of the liquid bridge, the morphology of the droplet when it jumps off the surface, and the distribution of the high-pressure region at the bottom of the droplet. Additionally, it decreased the droplet’s vertical velocity while substantially increasing the horizontal velocity. When the droplet radius was constant, decreasing the micropillar width or increasing the micropillar spacing on the sparse side was advantageous for the droplet jumping on a superhydrophobic surface with non-uniform micropillars. By defining the solid fraction on the micropillar surface with non-uniform distribution, the coupling effect of the width and spacing of the micropillars on the droplet jumping was thoroughly analyzed, and the optimal solid fraction for the best directional transport effect of droplets was determined. This study revealed the mechanism underlying the effect of surface micropillar structure on coalescence-induced droplet jumping, and the findings could guide the design of superhydrophobic surface microstructures, which was of great significance for the advancement of droplet jumping applications.