The Influence of Micro Scale Ratchet Depth on the Motion of Leidenfrost Drop

The influence of ratchet depth on the motion of Leidenfrost water drop was investigated as a continuous effort to reveal the driving mechanism. Continuous directional rebounding behavior of the drop was observed only at below 200°C on both micro ratchets with two different depth-to-period aspect ratios (1:5 and 1:10) and sharp ridges. Overall, the shallow ratchets generated more efficient drop mobility in the entire surface temperature range of 193–299°C due to the increased area between the bottom of the drop and the ratchet surface, caused by the geometrical benefit. However, the depth effect was only critical at relatively lower surface temperatures.