ISSN Online: 2377-424X
International Heat Transfer Conference 5
THE STABILITY OF LEIDENFROST DROPS
Abstract
Drops of water supported on a vapour layer above a heated plate have been observed to oscillate under certain conditions. A mechanism for this thermally induced oscillation is proposed and applied to a range of conditions that are relevant to Leidenfrost drops. It appears, both from theory and from experiment that oscillations become less probable at lower plate temperatures and that they play no part in the ultimate collapse of the drop.