title: Self-propelled dropwise condensate on superhydrophobic surfaces.
abstract: In conventional dropwise condensation on a hydrophobic surface, the condensate drops must be removed by external forces for continuous operation. This Letter reports continuous dropwise condensation spontaneously occurring on a superhydrophobic surface without any external forces. The spontaneous drop removal results from the surface energy released upon drop coalescence, which leads to a surprising out-of-plane jumping motion of the coalesced drops at a speed as high as 1 m/s. The jumping follows an inertial-capillary scaling and gives rise to a micrometric average diameter at steady state.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA.
authors.forename: Jonathan B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Boreyko
authors.forename: Chuan-Hua
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chen