Dynamics of Droplets in Water Vapor Condensation Process Under Non-Uniform Electric Field

This study investigates the dynamics of water vapor condensation under a non-uniform electric field generated by a needle-plate electrode configuration. A comprehensive experimental system was developed to visualize and analyze droplet nucleation, coalescence, detachment, and surface-cleaning mechanisms during condensation. The setup integrates a cooling module, steam generation unit, high-voltage power supply, and imaging platform to capture real-time droplet behavior under varying electric field strengths. A mathematical model of the electric field distribution was established to correlate charge dynamics with observed phenomena. Results demonstrate that the applied electric field significantly enhances condensation efficiency by promoting homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation, reducing droplet contact angles, and inducing dielectrophoretic forces that accelerate droplet coalescence and detachment. Furthermore, increasing the voltage leads to smaller droplet sizes and suppressed large-droplet formation due to ionic wind and electrostatic repulsion. These findings provide critical insights into optimizing electric field-assisted phase-change processes for industrial applications requiring enhanced heat transfer.