Electricity Driven Behavior and Self-Cleaning Property of Droplets on Superhydrophobic Anti-pollution Flashover Coating.

The potential of superhydrophobic coatings for anti-pollution flashover should be further explored, focusing on droplet electrical behavior on surfaces. In this study, the electrically driven behavior of droplets on a horizontal superhydrophobic surface was experimentally examined. The characteristics of this behavior were compared and analyzed relative to RTV (room temperature vulcanized silicone rubber). The findings indicate that droplets exhibit a propensity to undergo a rolling motion in the direction of the electric field on superhydrophobic surfaces. The electric field strength at the critical motion state of droplets on the superhydrophobic surface is observed to decrease with an increase in the water contact angle (WCA) of the surface. Moreover, it exhibits a distinct volume effect whereby the electric field strength initially decreases and then increases as the droplet's volume increases. The distribution of the electric field around droplets on a superhydrophobic surface was simulated, and volume effect analysis was conducted on the electric propulsion of the droplet. Electric propulsion of water droplets can remove pollutants along their path, enhancing anti-pollution capabilities on superhydrophobic surfaces in power systems.