Dynamic Motion and Discharge Behaviour of Water Droplets on Superhydrophobic Overhead Line Conductor

The corona discharge and audible noise can be generated at an elevated electric field due to the pollutants and droplets on the overhead line conductors. The dynamic motion and discharge behavior of droplets on a superhydrophobic conductor is investigated. The observations showed that droplets falling onto the coated conductor bounced off due to its high-water repellence, while on the uncoated conductor, droplets slid and formed pendant droplets. Higher electric fields exerted a greater force on the droplets, resulting in a longer distance range. Additionally, the experiments found that the average discharge frequency and magnitude on the coated conductor were lower than that on the uncoated conductor. These findings suggest that superhydrophobic coatings have the potential to reduce partial discharge and audible noise in electrical systems.