A method for testing drag-reduction on riblet surfaces based on the Spalding formula

This paper presents a method based on riblet surfaces. Its advantage lies in that it is more with testing methods using instruments such as a the Spalding formula for testing drag-reduction on convenient and yields more precise data compared scale. With this method, data is obtained from the velocity distribution within the inner layer, nearest the riblet surface. Precision of measurement of the velocity distribution is the key factor affecting the precision of the testing.

Drag Reducing and Increasing Mechanism on Triangular Riblet Surface

Drag reducing and increasing mechanism on riblet surface has been studied through computational fluid dynamics(CFD).Drag reduction is achieved through the optimization of riblet geometry which would affect flow structure inside riblet grooves.Force and flow structure on riblet surface are analyzed and compared with those of smooth surface based on the k-εturbulence model.Drag reducing and increasing mechanism is proved to be related to microvortexes induced inside riblets which lead to Reynolds shear stress reduction significantly and is considered to be the dominant factor resulting in wall friction reduction.Simulation results also show that the pressure drag generating from the deviation of static pressure on the front and rear ends of riblets occurs and grows exponentially with Mach number,which can cause drag increasing.Furthermore,near-wall vortical structures,Reynolds shear stress and static pressure on riblet surfaces are also analyzed in detail.

Effect of drag reducing riblet surface on coherent structure in turbulent boundary layer

The characteristics of turbulent boundary layer over streamwise aligned drag reducing riblet surface under zero-pressure gradient are investigated using particle image velocimetry. The formation and distribution of large-scale coherent structures and their effect on momentum partition are analyzed using two-point correlation and probability density function. Compared with smooth surface, the streamwise riblets reduce the friction velocity and Reynolds stress in the turbulent boundary layer, indicating the drag reduction effect. Strong correlation has been found between the occurrence of hairpin vortices and the momentum distribution. The number and streamwise length scale of hairpin vortices decrease over streamwise riblet surface. The correlation between number of uniform momentum zones and Reynolds number remains the same as smooth surface.

Numerical simulation on drag reduction of revolution body through bionic riblet surface

Numerical simulations of flow fields on the bionic riblet and the smooth revolution bodies were performed based on the SST k-ω turbulence model in order to explain the mechanisms of the skin friction drag reduction, base drag reduction on the riblet surface, and flow control behaviors of riblet surface near the wall. The simulation results show that the riblet surface arranged on the rearward of the revolution body can reduce the skin friction drag by 8.27%, the base drag by 9.91% and the total drag by 8.59% at Ma number 0.8. The riblet surface reduces the skin friction drag by reducing the velocity gradient and turbulent intensity, and reduces the base drag by weakening the pumping action on the dead water region which behind the body of revolution caused by the external flow. The flow control behavior on boundary layer shows that the riblet surface can cut the low-speed flow near the wall effectively, and restrain the low-speed flow concentrating in span direction, thus weaken the instability of the low speed steaks produced by turbulent flow bursting.