Interaction of three-dimensional hydrodynamic and thermocapillary instabilities in film flows

We study three-dimensional wave patterns on the surface of a film flowing down a uniformly heated wall. Our starting point is a model of four evolution equations for the film thickness h, the interfacial temperature theta, and the streamwise and spanwise flow rates, q and p, respectively, obtained by combining a gradient expansion with a weighted residual projection. This model is shown to be robust and accurate in describing the competition between hydrodynamic waves and thermocapillary Marangoni effects for a wide range of parameters. For small Reynolds numbers, i.e., in the drag-gravity regime, we observe regularly spaced rivulets aligned with the flow and preventing the development of hydrodynamic waves. The wavelength of the developed rivulet structures is found to closely match the one of the most amplified mode predicted by linear theory. For larger Reynolds numbers, i.e., in the drag-inertia regime, the situation is similar to the isothermal case and no rivulets are observed. Between these two regimes we observe a complex behavior for the hydrodynamic and thermocapillary modes with the presence of rivulets channeling quasi-two-dimensional waves of larger amplitude and phase speed than those observed in isothermal conditions, leading possibly to solitarylike waves. Two subregions are identified depending on the topology of the rivulet structures that can be either ridgelike or groovelike. A regime map is further proposed that highlights the influence of the Reynolds and the Marangoni numbers on the rivulet structures. Interestingly, this map is found to be related to the variations of amplitude and speed of the two-dimensional solitary-wave solutions of the model. Finally, the heat transfer enhancement due to the increase of interfacial area in the presence of rivulet structures is shown to be significant.