Characterization of Hemi-Wicking in Micro-Engineered Surfaces Using Micro-PTV and Phase Field Lattice Boltzmann Method

Document Type

Abstract

Publication Date

2025

Publication Title

APS Division of Fluid Dynamics Annual Meeting 2025

Conference Name

APS Division of Fluid Dynamics Annual Meeting 2025, November 23-25, 2025, Houston, Texas

Abstract

Micro-engineered surfaces have seen extensive applications in a broad range of natural and engineering processes such as thermal management, bioengineering, and petrochemical industries. These porous surfaces offer a major advantage of enhanced flow through narrow conduits via capillary wicking and provide a large surface-area-to-volume ratio. The wicking performance in these systems could be further improved by understanding the microscale flow dynamics and their variation with the micro-engineered surfaces. This study investigates the effect of different structures on wicking enhancement via a combination of numerical, experimental, and analytical studies. The numerical approach is based on the three-dimensional phase-field Lattice Boltzmann method, whereas the experimental validation takes advantage of the microfabrication techniques and 3D micro-PTV to track the wicking flow. The results explore the advancing liquid front in different geometries to model wicking in micro-structured surfaces. Further it analyzes the effects of pitch-to-diameter and height-to-pitch ratios on wicking enhancement. The results are corroborated with analytical correlation developed based on thermodynamic energy balance, showing good agreement with the numerical and experimental data.

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© 2025 American Physical Society. All rights reserved.

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Original Publication Citation

Khan, Z. A., Bohara, A. G., Raventhiran, N., Fakhari, A., & Li, Y. (2025). Characterization of hemi-wicking in micro-engineered surfaces using micro-PTV and phase-field Lattice Boltzmann method [Meeting abstract]. APS Division of Fluid Dynamics Annual Meeting 2025, Houston, Texas. https://archive.aps.org/dfd/2025/t13/2/

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