Study on the Performance of a Surface with Coupled Wettability Difference and Convex-Stripe Array for Improved Air Layer Stability

The existence of an air layer reduces friction drag on superhydrophobic surfaces. Therefore, improving the air layer stability of superhydrophobic surfaces holds immense significance in reducing both energy consumption and environmental pollution caused by friction drag. Based on the properties of mathematical discretization and the contact angle hysteresis generated by the wettability difference, a surface coupled with a wettability difference treatment and a convex-stripe array is developed by laser engraving and fluorine modification, and its performance in improving the air layer stability is experimentally studied in a von Kármán swirling flow field. The results show that the destabilization of the air layer is mainly caused by the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability, which is triggered by the density difference between gas and liquid, as well as the tangential velocity difference between gas and liquid. When the air layer is relatively thin, tangential wave destabilization occurs, whereas for larger thicknesses, the destabilization mode is coupled wave destabilization. The maximum Reynolds number that keeps the air layer fully covering the surface of the rotating disk (with drag reduction performance) during the disk rotation process is defined as the critical Reynolds number (Re_c), which is 1.62 × 10⁵ for the uniform superhydrophobic surface and 3.24 × 10⁵ for the superhydrophobic surface with a convex stripe on the outermost ring (SCSS_P). Individual treatments of wettability difference and a convex-stripe array on the SCSS_P further improve the air layer stability, but Re_c remains at 3.24 × 10⁵. Finally, the coupling of the wettability difference treatment with a convex-stripe array significantly improves the air layer stability, resulting in an increase of Re_c to 4.05 × 10⁵, and the drag reduction rate stably maintained around 30%.