The Temperature Reduction Characteristics of Water Droplets Freezing on Hydrophobic Surface

Since its discovery, surface hydrophobicity has been extensively studied and applied, and it has been preliminarily implemented in the prevention of ice accretion on power equipment within electrical systems. However, current research on anti‐icing and the freezing process of hydrophobic surfaces primarily focuses on observational and experimental studies, whereas there is a relative scarcity of research on the microscopic mechanism analysis and numerical simulation of the water droplet freezing process on hydrophobic surfaces. From a thermodynamic perspective, this paper combines the finite element numerical method with theoretical knowledge of fluid heat transfer. Selecting actual experimental parameters from artificial climate conditions as simulation parameters, it conducts computational simulations and experimental measurements on the freezing time and temperature of individual water droplets during the freezing process on various hydrophobic surfaces. The study finds that the latent heat of the water–ice phase transition determines the temperature variation pattern of water droplets, and the release of latent heat slows the rate of temperature decrease in the droplets, thereby prolonging the freezing time. As the static contact angle of the material surface increases, the freezing time of water droplets also increases with the two exhibiting an approximately linear relationship. This indicates that enhancing the hydrophobicity of a material surface can delay droplet freezing, and the findings of this study can provide a reference for the research and development of passive anti‐icing coatings.