Transition boiling bubble powered micro-engine using a Leidenfrost bearing

Prashant Agrawal; Anthony Buchoux; Gary Wells; Rodrigo Ledesma-Aguilar; Anthony J. Walton; Jonathan Terry; Glen McHale; Khellil Sefiane; Adam Stokes

doi:10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2023.120565

Transition boiling bubble powered micro-engine using a Leidenfrost bearing

Prashant Agrawal^*, Anthony Buchoux, Gary Wells, Rodrigo Ledesma-Aguilar, Anthony J. Walton, Jonathan Terry, Glen McHale, Khellil Sefiane, Adam Stokes^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Mathematics, Physics and Electrical Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Overcoming friction while generating useful torque is a challenge for micro engines. Here we report the development of a microscale engine that utilizes transition boiling as a mode of propulsion and the Leidenfrost effect as a friction-less bearing. The transition boiling micro engine shows significantly improved performance compared to a Leidenfrost engine, which uses vapor entrainment as a propulsion mechanism (up to 3 orders of magnitude higher efficiency). We characterise the performance of the transition boiling engine with temperature and develop an analytical model to model and compare the engine performance with experimental observations. Our results provide a new approach to generating torque with a virtually frictionless bearing in micro-engines unlocking applications in, e.g., remote sensing and low-grade energy harvesting.

Original language	English
Article number	120565
Journal	Applied Thermal Engineering
Early online date	22 Apr 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2023.120565
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 22 Apr 2023

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10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2023.120565Licence: CC BY

TBEAccepted author manuscript, 4.88 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{8d956310e3364e20933f285e825066fe,

title = "Transition boiling bubble powered micro-engine using a Leidenfrost bearing",

abstract = "Overcoming friction while generating useful torque is a challenge for micro engines. Here we report the development of a microscale engine that utilizes transition boiling as a mode of propulsion and the Leidenfrost effect as a friction-less bearing. The transition boiling micro engine shows significantly improved performance compared to a Leidenfrost engine, which uses vapor entrainment as a propulsion mechanism (up to 3 orders of magnitude higher efficiency). We characterise the performance of the transition boiling engine with temperature and develop an analytical model to model and compare the engine performance with experimental observations. Our results provide a new approach to generating torque with a virtually frictionless bearing in micro-engines unlocking applications in, e.g., remote sensing and low-grade energy harvesting.",

keywords = "Leidenfrost, transition boiling, vapor bearing, heat engine, thin-film boiling",

author = "Prashant Agrawal and Anthony Buchoux and Gary Wells and Rodrigo Ledesma-Aguilar and Walton, {Anthony J.} and Jonathan Terry and Glen McHale and Khellil Sefiane and Adam Stokes",

note = "Funding information: The authors would like to thank funding from Royal Society RGS\R1\221020 and EPSRC grants EP/P005896/1, EP/P005705/1 and EP/P005896/2.",

year = "2023",

month = apr,

day = "22",

doi = "10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2023.120565",

language = "English",

journal = "Applied Thermal Engineering",

issn = "1359-4311",

publisher = "Elsevier",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Transition boiling bubble powered micro-engine using a Leidenfrost bearing

AU - Agrawal, Prashant

AU - Buchoux, Anthony

AU - Wells, Gary

AU - Ledesma-Aguilar, Rodrigo

AU - Walton, Anthony J.

AU - Terry, Jonathan

AU - McHale, Glen

AU - Sefiane, Khellil

AU - Stokes, Adam

N1 - Funding information: The authors would like to thank funding from Royal Society RGS\R1\221020 and EPSRC grants EP/P005896/1, EP/P005705/1 and EP/P005896/2.

PY - 2023/4/22

Y1 - 2023/4/22

N2 - Overcoming friction while generating useful torque is a challenge for micro engines. Here we report the development of a microscale engine that utilizes transition boiling as a mode of propulsion and the Leidenfrost effect as a friction-less bearing. The transition boiling micro engine shows significantly improved performance compared to a Leidenfrost engine, which uses vapor entrainment as a propulsion mechanism (up to 3 orders of magnitude higher efficiency). We characterise the performance of the transition boiling engine with temperature and develop an analytical model to model and compare the engine performance with experimental observations. Our results provide a new approach to generating torque with a virtually frictionless bearing in micro-engines unlocking applications in, e.g., remote sensing and low-grade energy harvesting.

AB - Overcoming friction while generating useful torque is a challenge for micro engines. Here we report the development of a microscale engine that utilizes transition boiling as a mode of propulsion and the Leidenfrost effect as a friction-less bearing. The transition boiling micro engine shows significantly improved performance compared to a Leidenfrost engine, which uses vapor entrainment as a propulsion mechanism (up to 3 orders of magnitude higher efficiency). We characterise the performance of the transition boiling engine with temperature and develop an analytical model to model and compare the engine performance with experimental observations. Our results provide a new approach to generating torque with a virtually frictionless bearing in micro-engines unlocking applications in, e.g., remote sensing and low-grade energy harvesting.

KW - Leidenfrost

KW - transition boiling

KW - vapor bearing

KW - heat engine

KW - thin-film boiling

U2 - 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2023.120565

DO - 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2023.120565

M3 - Article

JO - Applied Thermal Engineering

JF - Applied Thermal Engineering

SN - 1359-4311

M1 - 120565

ER -