Suppression of droplet impact freezing on superhydrophobic surfaces using dual synthetic jets

Superhydrophobic surfaces, which can promote the rebound of impacting water droplets, have become a research hotspot in the field of anti-/de-freezing. However, under practical freezing conditions, the performance of superhydrophobic surfaces may deteriorate during droplet impact, leading to anti-freezing failure. We employ an active control technology using dual synthetic jets to suppress freezing. A low-temperature experimental system was built, and high-speed photography along with numerical simulations were used to analyze the freezing characteristics of water droplets impacting superhydrophobic surfaces at −30 ℃ and the control effect of dual synthetic jets. The results show that, without using dual synthetic jets, droplets ultimately adhere to the surface and freeze; with the application of dual synthetic jets, droplet separation from the ice layer is effectively promoted, significantly reducing residual ice on the surface. Numerical simulations further reveal that dual synthetic jets inhibit ice formation by enhancing droplet motion, altering local heat transfer, and modifying the flow field structure, providing a valuable reference for the development of novel low-energy consumption anti-/de-freezing technologies.