Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
Phys Rev Lett. 2011 May 27;106(21):214501. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.214501. Epub 2011 May 23.
We demonstrate and quantify a highly effective drag reduction technique that exploits the Leidenfrost effect to create a continuous and robust lubricating vapor layer on the surface of a heated solid sphere moving in a liquid. Using high-speed video, we show that such vapor layers can reduce the hydrodynamic drag by over 85%. These results appear to approach the ultimate limit of drag reduction possible by different methods based on gas-layer lubrication and can stimulate the development of related energy saving technologies.
我们展示并量化了一种非常有效的减阻技术，该技术利用莱顿弗罗斯特效应在加热固体球体表面上产生连续且稳定的润滑蒸汽层，使球体在液体中运动。通过高速录像，我们发现这种蒸汽层可以使流体动力阻力降低 85%以上。这些结果似乎接近基于气层润滑的不同方法所能达到的减阻极限，并可能激发相关节能技术的发展。
