Dynamic behavior of water droplets and flashover characteristics on a superhydrophobic silicone rubber surface

In this paper, a superhydrophobic surface is used to increase the flashover voltage when water droplets are present on a silicone rubber surface. The dynamic behavior of a water droplet and the associated flashover characteristics are studied on common and superhydrophobic silicone rubber surfaces under a high DC voltage. On common silicone rubber, the droplet elongates and the flashover voltage decreases with increasing droplet volume and conductivity. In contrast, the droplet slides off the superhydrophobic surface, leading to an increased flashover voltage. This droplet sliding is due to the low adhesion of the superhydrophobic surface and a sufficiently high electrostatic force provided by the DC voltage. Experimental results show that a superhydrophobic surface is effective at inhibiting flashover.