Measuring Condensation Heat Transfer on Superhydrophobic Surfaces

Condensation heat transfer is significant in many applications such as desalination, energy conversion, atmospheric water harvesting, electronics cooling, and other high heat flux applications. However, condensate on the surface adds a thermal resistance that limits condensation rates. The rate of condensation heat transfer is inversely proportional to the diameter of the condensate drops. In industrial condensing systems, the resistance is minimized by removing the condensate via gravity or a vapor shear, but the minimum size of droplet removal is typically on the order of the capillary length of the condensate, about 2.7 mm for water.