The Leidenfrost Phenomenon: Innovative solutions to reduce hydrodynamic drag (enhancing researcher competence for ERC application)

Increasing political pressure is demanding that maritime transport emissions be reduced by all possible means to comply with the Paris Agreement and meet decarbonisation targets set at national, regional and international level. This project aims to carry out experimental studies on a thin-film structured coating with hydrophobic properties to verify the hypothesis put forward by the ERC, by assessing the impact on the conditions of the second-order boiling crisis, and by proposing new solutions to reduce hydrodynamic drag in the perspective of future technologies. Considering that the viability of the developed coatings is an untapped medium for research and that many of the coatings do not even have a purpose, the project proposes to modify the existing coatings in such a way that they are controllable in the processes under investigation. These innovations have the potential to make a significant contribution to the decarbonisation of shipping and to long-term sustainability objectives.

Keywords:
Decarbonisation, Hydrophobic Coatings, Hydrodynamic drag reduction method

Acronym: LEIDENFROST

Project ID: S-ERC-24-1

Call: Call for proposals for projects aimed at strengthening the competences of Lithuanian researchers submitting proposals to the European Research Council (ERC) – Lithuanian Science Council (lrv.lt)

Total cost: 149 999,24 Eur

Coordinator:

• Lietuvos energetikos institutas (LEI), Lithuania.