To 3D print with fiber-infused liquids, we need to understand how these drops form, break-up, and splash. That’s the subject of this research poster, which shows drops of a fiber Keep reading
Tag: hydrophilic
Drag Is Greatest Before Submersion
A new study shows that partially submerged objects can experience more drag than fully submerged ones. This unexpected result comes from the excess fluid that piles up ahead of the Keep reading
Aquatic Escape Artists
Springtails are tiny hexapods found living on the air-water interface. Like other creatures living at the interface, they sometimes need to make a quick escape. For the springtail, that means Keep reading
The Two-Faced Splash
The way a sphere enters water depends on its size, speed, and surface properties. A hydrophilic (water-attracting) sphere behaves differently than a hydrophobic (water-repelling) one. But what happens when the Keep reading
Bouncing Off Hydrophilic Surfaces
Droplets typically bounce off hydrophobic surfaces due to air trapped beneath the liquid that prevents contact between the drop and surface. But even extremely smooth, hydrophilic surfaces can elicit a Keep reading
Putting a Spin on Splashes
Researchers put a spin on splashing droplets with selective wetting. When a drop impacts on a water-repellent, superhydrophobic surface, it will spread circularly, then pull back together and rebound off Keep reading
Avoiding Ice
Keeping ice from forming on a surface is a major engineering challenge. Typically, there’s no controlling certain factors – like the size and impact speed of droplets – so engineers Keep reading
Entrained
When an object hits water whether it draws air in with it depends on its shape, impact speed, and surface characteristics. In this experiment, though, there’s a bit of a Keep reading
Corrugating Water
The characteristics of a surface can have a major impact on the form a flow takes. The photo above shows a corrugated, almost pinecone-like water surface. It’s the result of Keep reading
Ode to Bubbles
Boiling water plays a major role in the steam cycles we use to generate power. One of the challenges in these systems is that it’s hard to control the rate Keep reading