In a solar thermal distillation still, the condensation occurs on glass cover. The drops grow in size and at a critical size starts sliding down the glass cover. On its way downwards, the droplet grow in size by direct condensation and coalesce by other droplets. However, if the substrate (glass cover) length is too large, the droplet will become heavy and the viscous forces between the droplet and glass will no more be able to hold the droplet, thus, the droplet fall off. This depends on contact angle of droplet on substrate, vapor flux, inclination of substrate etc. 

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