Abstract
The containerless processing technologies make it possible to keep the levitating material n undercooled condition and also make it possible to measure physical properties in high accuracy. However, there is a possibility that the surface deformation and internal flow of droplets can influence the undercooled condition and measurement of the physical properties. In the present study, preliminary experiments are conducted to measure the characteristic of large droplet surface deformation and the internal flow. At first, levitation experiments with a water and a melted Lauric acid droplets are conducted at normal gravity condition. Secondly, the experiments with a water droplet are conducted at microgravity condition. Thirdly, the difference of the surface behavior between a water droplet and a Lauric Acid droplet is examined with critical Weber number theory. Finally, linear perturbation theory is applied to the droplet surface deformation.
