Farzam Zoueshtiagh

A quasi-one-dimensional microfluidic electrochemical platform suppresses convection through microscale confinement and eliminates electric field singularities through a dielectric overhang that shields the top surface of the electrode.

Drying capillary bridges that squeeze microparticles, enlarge contact, and strengthen adhesion.

This study explores the Faraday instability as a mechanism to enhance heat transfer in two-phase systems by exciting interfacial waves through resonance. The approach is particularly applicable to reduced-gravity environments where buoyancy-driven convection is ineffective. A reduced-order model, based on a weighted residual integral boundary layer method, is used to predict interfacial dynamics and heat flux under vertical oscillations with a stabilising thermal gradient. The model employs long-wave and one-way coupling approximations to simplify the governing equations. Linear stability theory informs the oscillation parameters for subsequent nonlinear simulations, which are then qualitatively compared against experiments conducted under Earth’s gravity. Experimental results show up to a 4.5-fold enhancement in heat transfer over pure conduction. Key findings include: (i) reduced gravity lowers interfacial stability, promoting mixing and heat transfer; and (ii) oscillation-induced instability significantly improves heat transport under Earth’s gravity. Theoretical predictions qualitatively validate experimental trends in wavelength-dependent enhancement of heat transfer. Quantitative discrepancies between model and experiment are rationalised by model assumptions, such as neglecting higher-order inertial terms, idealised boundary conditions, and simplified interface dynamics. These limitations lead to underprediction of interface deflection and heat flux. Nevertheless, the study underscores the value of Faraday instability as a means to boost heat transfer in reduced gravity, with implications for thermal management in space applications.

We explore the potential for air bubble entrapment beneath micrometer-sized particles following immersion. This investigation employs theoretical, numerical, and experimental methodologies, with a focus on the wetting characteristics of both the particle and its substrate. These properties are crucial in determining the likelihood of entrapment and its impact on the particle's adhesion force to the substrate. The theoretical model provides the mathematical framework to account for the additional force exerted on the particle due to the entrapped bubble, while numerical calculations yield corresponding force values. The results underscore the significant influence of the wettability of both the particle and the substrate on this force. In support of findings of the numerical model, companion experiments were performed. The results demonstrate that the bubbles can indeed be entrapped at microscales underneath micrometric particles. Experimental measurements of detachment force reveal the substantial impact of these entrapped bubbles on the force required to detach particles from a surface. Specifically, the force appears notably higher when either the particle or the substrate, or both, exhibit hydrophobic characteristics. We highlight the alignment observed between numerical calculations and experimental results, while also examining and discussing any identified disparities and their root causes. Lastly, we propose an energy model that predicts the post-detachment configuration of the bubble, determining whether it remains attached to the particle, adheres to the substrate, or splits into daughter bubbles distributed across both surfaces. These findings hold significance for a wide range of industrial applications where the immersion of micrometer-sized entities, such as dirt or bacteria, is common during liquid-based cleaning processes.

We report spontaneous oscillations of circular hydraulic jumps created by the impact of a submillimeter water jet on a solid disk. The jet flow rate is shown to condition the occurrence of the oscillations while their period is independent of this parameter. The period, however, varies linearly with the disk radius. This dependency is rationalized by investigating surface gravity wave modes in the cavity formed by the disk. We show that the jump oscillation frequency systematically matches one of the surface wave disk-cavity eigenfrequencies, leading to the conclusion that the oscillations are self-induced by the interaction between the jump and surface wave eigenmodes.