Thermocapillary Convection Dynamics in Fluid Systems

Thermocapillary convection arises when spatial variations in surface tension, driven by temperature gradients across a free or deformable interface, induce fluid motion. This phenomenon governs heat and mass transport in a wide range of settings, from industrial processes such as welding and coating to the control of crystallisation in microgravity. At the heart of these dynamics lies the Marangoni effect, whereby warmer regions of a liquid surface, exhibiting lower surface tension, draw fluid from cooler, higher‐tension areas. Depending on system parameters—characterised by dimensionless groups such as the Marangoni and Prandtl numbers—flows may remain steady and axisymmetric or develop into hydrothermal waves, oscillatory instabilities and chaotic patterns. In phase‐change applications, notably those involving confined melts of organic or metallic materials, thermocapillary flows can dramatically accelerate melting and solidification by disrupting conduction layers and promoting convective mixing. Moreover, the interplay between thermocapillary and buoyancy forces, particularly in the presence of gravity or in microgravity environments, modulates interface deformation, transition thresholds and the emergence of coherent structures. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for optimising thermal management, materials synthesis and crystal growth technologies on Earth and in space.

Research from Nature Portfolio

No recent Nature Portfolio content available.

Thermocapillary Convection Dynamics in Fluid Systems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in thermocapillary convection dynamics in fluid systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Thermocapillary convection: Flow induced by surface tension gradients that arise from temperature differences along a liquid interface.

Marangoni number (Ma): A dimensionless quantity expressing the ratio of surface‐tension forces to viscous forces in a fluid.

Phase‐change material (PCM): A substance that absorbs or releases significant latent heat during melting or solidification.

Prandtl number (Pr): A dimensionless ratio of momentum diffusivity (viscosity) to thermal diffusivity.

References

1. Thermocapillary-enhanced Melting of Different Phase-change Materials in Microgravity. Microgravity Science and Technology (2022).
2. Three-dimensional effects during thermocapillary-driven melting of PCMs in cuboidal containers in microgravity. International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer (2024).
3. Thermocapillary instabilities in a liquid layer subjected to an oblique temperature gradient. Journal of Fluid Mechanics (2020).
4. Effects of Thermocapillary and Natural Convection During the Melting of PCMs with a Liquid Bridge Geometry. Microgravity Science and Technology (2023).