A novel superhydrophobic Al conductor with excellent anti-icing performance and its mechanism

Overhead conductor icing is one of the main factors causing transmission line failures. Superhydrophobic surface (SHS) with composite pore structure exhibits excellent anti-icing effectiveness and durability. Herein, this novel SHS was prepared on complex aluminum conductors by two-step anodic oxidation technology, and the motion behavior of droplets on the SHS conductor in the glaze icing environment was studied experimentally to analyze the anti-icing mechanism. The simulated glaze icing experiment results show that the SHS conductor significantly reduces the ice accumulation, and the icing weight is only 23 % of the untreated conductor. Compared with the flat surface, the groove structure of the SHS conductor enhances the ability of millimeter-sized droplets to bounce, and the contact time is less than 9 ms. Also, micron-sized spraying droplets exhibit excellent mobility on the SHS conductor surface, and the contact time is further reduced. Moreover, the SHS conductor has a good ability to delay the freezing of spraying droplets. The above factors endow the SHS conductor excellent anti-icing performance. This work lays a foundation for the anti-icing application of SHS on transmission lines.