Water droplet dynamics on bioinspired conical surfaces

Cacti use the Laplace pressure gradient due to conical geometry as a mechanism for collecting water from fog. Bioinspired surfaces using conical geometry can be developed for water collection from fog for human consumption. A systematic study is presented which investigates the dynamics of water droplets on a bioinspired conical surface. A series of experiments was conducted where a known volume of droplets was deposited on the cone. This was followed by an investigation into droplet dynamics where the droplets are deposited from fog and the volume is unknown. This includes a study on the macroscopic level as well as the microscopic level. The main parameters that were varied for these tests were the tip angle and the cone orientation. The droplet movement observed was compared relatively. Based on captured videos of droplet movement, distance travelled and velocities were measured. The Laplace pressure gradient, gravity and droplet coalescence were found to be the mechanisms of droplet movement on a conical surface. The findings of this study should be of interest in designing bioinspired surfaces with high water collection. This article is part of the theme issue 'Bioinspired materials and surfaces for green science and technology (part 2)'.