Optimization of bioinspired conical surfaces for water collection from fog

Abstract

Desert beetles, desert grass and cacti use different mechanisms to transport the collected water. It is transported to a location where it is consumed or stored. The mechanisms include heterogeneous wettability, grooves, and Laplace pressure gradient due to conical geometry, respectively. A systematic study is presented which investigates the effect of conical geometry for water collection purposes. Parameters including tip angle, cone length, surface area, and inclination angle were varied. The effect of grooves, heterogeneous wettability, and array were also investigated. Force due to the Laplace pressure gradient and gravity were found to be the two primary forces driving the droplets.