Effects of Gravity on Rewetting of Capillary Groove Surface at Elevated Temperatures—Experimental and Theoretical Studies

Abstract

Theoretical and experimental investigations of the rewetting characteristics of thin liquid films over heated and unheated capillary grooved plates were performed. To investigate the effect of gravity on rewetting, the grooved surface was placed in upward and downward-facing positions. Profound gravitational effects were observed as the rewetting velocity was found to be higher in the upward than in the downward-facing orientation. The difference was even greater with higher initial plate temperatures. With either orientation, it was found that the rewetting velocity increased with the initial plate temperature. But when the temperature was raised above a rewetting temperature, the rewetting velocity decreased with the initial plate temperature. Hydrodynamically controlled and heat conduction controlled rewetting models were then presented to explain and to predict the rewetting characteristics in these two distinct regions. The predicted rewetting velocities were found to be in good agreement with experimental data with elevated plate temperatures.