Energy Transport by Thermocapillary Convection during Sessile-Water-Droplet Evaporation

The energy transport mechanisms of a sessile-water droplet evaporating steadily while maintained on a Cu substrate are compared. Buoyancy-driven convection is eliminated, but thermal conduction and thermocapillary convection are active. The dominant mode varies along the interface. Although neglected in previous studies, near the three-phase line, thermocapillary convection is by far the larger mode of energy transport, and this is the region where most of the droplet evaporation occurs.