Twisted fibers enable drop flow control and enhance fog capture

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Kern, Vanessa R.; Carlson, Andreas
• 署名单位: University of Oslo
• 刊物名称: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0027-12803
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2402252121
• 发表日期: 2024-08-06
• 关键词: physical-properties; liquid-drops; water; equilibrium; hysteresis; SURFACES; BEHAVIOR

摘要

Drop-fiber interactions are fundamental to the operation of technologies such as atmospheric fog capture, oil filtration, refrigeration, and dehumidification. We demonstrate that by twisting together two fibers, a sliding drop's flow path can be controlled by tuning the ratio between its size and the twist wavelength. We find both experimentally and numerically that twisted fiber systems are able to asymmetrically stabilize drops, both enhancing drop transport speeds and creating a rich array of new flow patterns. We show that the passive flow control generated by twisting fibers allows for woven nets that can be programmed with junctions that predetermine drop interactions and can be anticlogging. Furthermore, it is shown that twisted fiber structures are significantly more effective at capturing atmospheric fog compared to straight fibers.