modelling the Interface DEFormation of super-HYdrophobic surfaces in eXtreme conditions – IDEFHYX

Among the large variety of innovative materials engineered for industrial needs, super-hydrophobic surfaces (SHS) have received increasing attention since the nineties. By tuning properly their physicochemical properties, these biomimetic surfaces can entrap a lubricating gas layer within the roughness restricting thereby the solid/liquid contact area. This feature also referred to the “Lotus effect” leads to liquid repellence, which may have a strong impact in engineering applications where wettability control is essential. In the framework of drag reduction, a number of studies have evidenced the beneficial effects of SHS in reducing skin friction at the laboratory scale in well controlled operating conditions. However, predicting their performances under extreme conditions such as highly turbulent flows, which are representative of industrial applications, is a major challenge. In particular, very recent works have pointed out the importance of the deformation of the gas/liquid interface, which is currently neglected in the design of SHS. The ambition of the IDEFHYX project is precisely to overcome this lack by addressing the problem with a radically different approach from those used until now. The originality of this project is based on the coupling between two-phase flow simulations, stability analysis and model experiments to provide a more in-depth understanding of the physical mechanisms governing the interaction of the gas/liquid interface and its surrounding environment. Doing so, IDEFHYX will provide a unique framework on which the next generation of SHS will be engineered coupling effectiveness and resilience even in extreme conditions.