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Icing Setup

Icing setup is used for testing ice adhesion on surfaces at -25℃. It consists of a transparent double-wall container, an aluminium frame, a base plate, a compact heat exchanger (P1805368, UK Exchangers), 4 axial fans, situated below the heat exchanger (ARX CeraDyna Series, RS Components), a rotary aluminium stage, a plastic shaft and two Peltier cooling modules located between the aluminium stage and the heatÌýexchanger.ÌýIt is capable of applying variable velocity and force measurements.

Condensation Setup

LTCL 400 (TAS UK LTD) is an environmental chamber for phase change processes. It consists of a fully seam welded stainless steel inner chamber and is enclosed in a mild steel outer shell. Between the two is a layer of mineral fibre and foam insulation. A fully-hermetic air cooled refrigeration system is used to lower the temperature of the inner chamber where the refrigerant is being passed through a finned evaporator coil located at the rear of the chamber behind an air baffle system. The refrigeration plant is located in the lower compartment of the chamber and exhausts warm air to the BACK of the machine. Heating of the chamber is affected by Inconnel sheathed heater elements located behind the baffle system. Humidification is generated by injecting air into a hot water bath and subsequently into the chamber working area. De-humidification is achieved by the use of a ‘dew point’ coil with anti-icing features. Temperature sensing is performed via PRT100 thermometers and Humidity sensing is done via a solid state sensor.

Discovery Hybrid Rheometer (DHR)

Advances in core measurement technology enable more sensitive measurements with superior precision. This empowers scientists to measure lower viscosities and track weaker liquid and soft-solid structure, while consuming less material.Ìý DHR performs stress and strain-controlled measurement with high-speed electronics and the responsive Advanced Drag Cup Motor, providing the fastest transient responses and accurate control in any type of deformation. Direct Strain oscillation provides real-time strain control at every point of the oscillatory measurement. Responsive strain control ensures rapid data collection and the highest data quality, particularly when evaluating materials that show a non-linear response at very large amplitudes or undergoing transitions. DHRs benefit from Magnetic Thrust Bearing, which reduces basic system friction by 70% compared to traditional designs and therefore lower torques can be measured reliably and accurately.

3D Microscope (Digital Microscope VHX-7000)

The VHX series, world's first 4K Ultra-High accuracy microscope, offers observation that exceeds conventional imaging tools. The VHX Series is equipped with all the features needed to enhance imaging. Even when the target has an uneven surface, a fully-focused image is obtained instantly, composed of multiple images with varying focus positions, providing a 3D display to observe surface contours as well. Its easy-to-use interface can be used effectively by expert and novice users. All adjustments including XYZ, magnification, focus, and light settings are controlled automatically such that the user simply places the target on the stage, and everything else is fully automatic requiring minimum intervention from the user.

Wettability Setup

Contact angle measurement of dropletsÌýis based on aÌýcustom made goniometer setup. The setup consists of an adjustable stage, a syringe pump, a light source, and a CMOS camera. Videos of the droplet during advancing and receding phases are analysed with a MATLAB code for measuring the contact angles and the hysteresis.

High Resolution 3D Printing Setup

3D printing is a layer-by-layer deposition of ink from the nozzle and syringe. TheÌýextruded droplets retain their shape and form a pattern on the substrate. This 3D printer has high flexibility with regards to pattern complexity, ease of programming (G-Code), high spatial resolution (~ micrometers), printing speed (mm/min − m/min), and printing pressure.

Super Ink Jet Printer

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Our Nanomanufacturing Lab which is hosting our bespoke electrohydrodynamic printer (from SIJ Technology Inc of Japan) within our Nanoengineering dedicated electronics manufacturing lab.ÌýA cutting-edge research system capable of jetting femtolitre droplets to create sub-micron features. This system is capable of printing in 2 and 2.5D space.

Pure steam condensation setup

Motivation: Nanoengineered coatings on surface condensers can help improve steam plant efficiency by preventing condensate build up. In order to benchmark the coating’s performance, a sub-atmospheric (<10 Pa) steam condensation setup is being used.

The setup requires a short metal tube, coated with the formulation being tested, to be inserted into a flow loop. A boiler, capable of delivering 4 kg of steam is used to deliver pure steam into the evacuated chamber. Coating efficiency is measured as the thermal resistance between vapour and metal surface (which includes size and distribution of the condensate.

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Laser induced particle impactÌýsetup

Understanding how nanomaterials fail during high speed impact is essential to designing resilient structures for aerospace, wind turbines, etc. The impact resistance can be characterized with high strain rate tests in laboratory conditions. Procedures such as split bar Hopkinson bar tests can achieve strain rates upto 10³-10⁵ s^-1 but do not provide any insights to micromechanical behavior as those obtained from nanoindentation tests are limited to 10^-4 to 10^-1 s^-1. Ballistic nanoindenters [1] can achieve upto 10⁵ s^-1 (similar to split Hopkinson bar test) but are expensive.

Laser induced particle ejection can achieve more than 1 km/s with solid microparticles and more than 300 m/s with liquid microjets. Coupled with a high frame rate Kirana 5M (5 million frames per second), this setup provides unique and fundamental insights to the impact at small time and lengthscales.