Assessing the Superhydrophobic Performance of Laser Micropatterned Aluminium Overhead Line Conductor Material

Overhead electric supply lines are subject to water and ice accumulation, causing noise and weight increase, and leading to faults or failures. In this research, micro-textures were laser-ablated on aluminium substrates representative of overhead line conductors to achieve superhydrophobic properties. Samples were then subjected to a range of tests to measure the resilience and durability of such surfaces to conditions experienced by overhead line conductors. Tests to examine thermal ageing, thermal cycling, UV exposure, long term ambient outdoor environment exposure, and corona exposure testing were conducted and the evolution of surface superhydrophobicity was quantified. A high degree of resilience was observed for most of the testing. The feasibility of manufacturing upscale is discussed in addition to optimising test methods.