Exploring Dynamics of Water Drop Transport on Vibrating Superhydrophobic Surfaces*

The control of water drop transport is a challenging problem in many scientific field. Mechanical vibration rises as an effective mechanism to move drops.

Our research focuses on exploring the dynamics of water drops on vibrating superhydrophobic surfaces. Information about drop dynamics and internal flow has been obtained by means of high-speed imaging and PIV. To systematically study the drop motion, we stimulate the surfaces with harmonic vibrations, over a wide range of frequencies, amplitudes and drop volumes to analyze their influence on drop velocity, shape deformation and internal flow. Furthermore, we extended this study to surfaces with different non-wetting properties to conclude how variations in substrate characteristics can alter drop dynamics.