Experimental Research of Wetting and Drop Evaporation Processes on a Heated Substrate as a Method for Research Skills Development for Heat and Power Engineering Students

The article considers a method used for student research competency development during the course “Process energy sources for industrial facilities” in Tomsk Polytechnic University. The experiment is based on shadow and Schlieren optical methods for observing the water drop evaporation on the solid surface. Using the images obtained by plane-parallel light during the evaporation process and Drop Shape analyses software, students are to determine the drop's geometric parameters. After the experiment and results processing, they are required to determine the evaporation stages, study effects of surface roughness and temperature factors on characteristics of drop spreading (contact angle and diameter).