Simulation of meniscus stability in superhydrophobic granular surfaces under hydrostatic pressures

► A series of numerical simulations is devised to study superhydrophobic surfaces obtained by random deposition of hydrophobic particles. ► The simulation method presented here is the first to predict performance of superhydrophobic surfaces with random microstructure. ► A new expression is developed for the critical pressure at which a submerged idealized granular superhydrophobic surface departs from Cassie state. ► The critical pressure increases with deceasing the porosity of the surface or size of the particles. ► Reasonable agreement is observed between our analytical and numerical predictions.