An Experimental Investigation of Skin Friction on Smooth Surfaces Supporting Air Bearing Channels.

Abstract

A new method, to obtain skin friction reduction by installing air-bearing channels on a smooth surface in uniform flow was investigated. The measurements were made by a servo-controlled skin friction balance. The parametric studies of the channel having step dimensions less than the laminar sublayer thicknesses and placed in flows of free stream velocity up to 90 ft/s have shown that an average skin friction reduction of 25% in the air bearing cavity is well within reach. It was also confirmed that riblet type surface grooves can produce up to 10% skin friction drag reduction.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jul 01, 1986
Accession Number
ADA172045

Entities

People

  • Muhammad Khalid

Organizations

  • National Research Council Canada

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Sensors

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Bearings
  • Boundaries
  • Boundary Layer
  • Boundary Layer Flow
  • Diameters
  • Drag
  • Drag Reduction
  • Flow
  • Free Stream
  • Friction
  • Gas Bearings
  • Materials
  • Measurement
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Research Facilities
  • Reynolds Number
  • Skin Friction

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Dynamics.
  • Tribology (the study of the boundary interaction between sliding surfaces, lubrication, wear and friction).