Levitation of Liquid Microdroplets Above A Solid Surface Subcooled to the Leidenfrost Temperature

Abstract

Evaporation of liquid microdroplets that fall on a solid surface with the temperature of below the Leidenfrost temperature is studied. It has been found out that sufficiently small liquid droplets of about 10 microns can suspend at some distance from the surface (levitate) and do not reach the surface; at that, the rate of droplet evaporation is reduced by an order as compared to microdroplets, which touch the surface. It is determined that in contrast to microdroplets, which touch the surface, the specific evaporation rate of levitating droplets is constant in time.