Inkjet deposition of lines onto thin moving porous media - experiments and simulations

We have studied the deposition of lines of water onto a thin porous medium by means of a droplet-on-demand, single-nozzle inkjet system. We systematically varied the substrate speed and the droplet frequency. Optical transmission imaging was used to measure the dynamic moisture distribution in the substrate in conjunction with infrared thermography to determine the in-plane temperature distribution of the paper. The temperature of the paper becomes non-uniform due to evaporative cooling. Furthermore, we have developed a two-dimensional model coupling the Richards equation for moisture transport in unsaturated porous media with evaporative mass loss and heat transfer. The results of the numerical simulations agree qualitatively well with the measured data. (C) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Automated summary

The study investigated the deposition of lines of water onto a thin porous medium using a droplet-on-demand, single-nozzle inkjet system. Both experimental and numerical simulations were employed to analyze the dynamics of moisture distribution and temperature profiling of the substrate. The results indicated that substrate speed and droplet frequency significantly influenced the moisture transport and temperature distribution of the paper.