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Water Droplet On Superhydrophobic Surface (Image 1)
A color-enhanced image showing a droplet of water being deposited on a superhydrophobic (water-repelling) surface, just before it separates from the dropper used to deposit it.
A water hammer can occur when a valve is suddenly opened or closed in a pipe carrying water or steam, causing a pressure wave to travel down the pipe with enough force that it can sometimes cause the pipes to burst. Now, new research by MIT researcher Kripa Varanasi, the d'Arbeloff Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, shows that a similar effect takes place on a tiny scale whenever a droplet of water strikes a surface.
The research was funded in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation (CBET 09-52564). To learn more, see the MIT news story "Research update: How to tame hammering droplets." (Date of Image: January 2011) [See related image Here.]
Credit: Kripa K. Varanasi, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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