Investigation on one-step preparation and anti-icing experiments of robust super-hydrophobic surface on wind turbine blades

Abstract

Wind turbines are often built in areas prone to icing in winter, such as high altitudes and humidity. When wind turbine blades rotate, they collide and capture super-cooled water droplets to form ice, which causes significant hidden dangers to the safe operation of wind turbines. The super-hydrophobic surface is an attractive topic in the field of anti-icing research. However, the low weather resistance of the existing super-hydrophobic surface limits its large-scale application. This paper proposes a one-step preparation method for a robust super-hydrophobic surface. Its hydrophobicity, wear resistance, and other properties are tested. We have experimented with super-hydrophobic blades and control blades in a natural icing environment. The results show that the prepared super-hydrophobic blade has better wear resistance, acid, and alkali resistance. The super-hydrophobic surface has a retardation effect on glaze and mixed ice only in the initial icing stage. The robust super-hydrophobicity limits the frozen area. Throughout the icing period, the effectiveness of super-hydrophobic surfaces is limited. Although the prepared surface effectively improves the robustness, the super-hydrophobic surface is still very challenging in anti-icing applications.