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The phenomenon of droplet impact is commonly found in industrial and agricultural processes. The basic characteristics and theories of a droplet impacting solid walls have been extensively studied, but the regulation of the droplet impact phenomenon has not been adequately examined. This study investigates the regulation of droplet impact on a hydrophobic surface based on alternating current electrowetting-on-dielectric (AC EWOD). When a water droplet impacts a virgin Teflon surface at 1.06 m/s, the phenomenon of partial rebound occurs. When an AC voltage is applied to an electrode pair underneath the Teflon layer, the droplet is stabilized on the hydrophobic surface after impact. To investigate the mechanism of influence of the AC signal on the regulation of droplet impact, the variation in the spread diameter and height of the droplet were characterized at different frequencies and amplitudes of the AC signal. An oscillation in the diameter of the droplet was observed in the retraction stage with the application of AC EWOD, which was the dominant effect in neutralizing the retraction kinetic energy and yielded the rebound inhibition effect. A transition diagram between partial droplet rebound and rebound inhibition was plotted in terms of voltage, frequency, and the Weber number, and theoretical analysis was carried out to determine the retraction kinetic energy dissipated by the viscous force when the AC EWOD signal was applied.

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The capillary waves induced by electrowetting-ondielectric have great potential in terms of capillary propulsion and other applications. At present, these applications are limited by a lack of research on the effects of liquid viscosity, which is an important parameter in controlling this phenomenon. This paper examines the formation, propagation, and attenuation of electrowetting-on-dielectric-induced capillary waves (EWCWs) on a liquid-free surface with different levels of liquid viscosity. The formation and propagation of the capillary waves are visualized using a high-speed camera and a free-surface synthetic Schlieren method. A theoretical model is established to describe the wave amplitude and wave propagation of EWCWs. The results show that the liquid viscosity, as well as the surface tension, significantly affects the formation and propagation of EWCWs. Using the results presented in this paper, a new type of Stokes viscometer based on EWCWs is proposed, enabling accurate measurements of liquid viscosity over a wide range of viscosity and temperature conditions.

Capillary-wave propellers (CWPs) based on the phenomenon of electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) have shown great potential for floating-object propulsion, heat-transfer enhancement, and fluid thermophysical property measurement. However, the small amplitude of the EWOD-induced capillary-wave limits the performance of the CWP in practical applications. Herein, a CWP with a concave curvature is proposed to enlarge the capillary-wave amplitude. The formation and propagation of the capillary wave are visualized by using a high-speed camera and a free-surface synthetic schlieren method. The wave amplitude and wave propagation are modeled theoretically. The effects of the concave curvature and the frequency of the electrical signal are investigated, and the results show that the concave curvature increases the wave amplitude, velocity vector, and wave intensity as compared with flat EWOD units. In addition, the results show that 20 Hz electrical signals are favorable for pursuing large wave energy density. The underlying mechanism for increasing the wave energy via concave CWPs is revealed experimentally and explained theoretically. The proposed concave CWP is helpful for increasing the propulsion speed of small-scale floating objects and is promising for improving the performance of CWPs in other applications.