Fundamental Interaction Mechanisms of Roughness Induced Flows with Surface Textures
Abstract
This grant proposes to study the fundamental mechanisms of how engineered surface textures interfere with disturbances generated by environmentally accumulated roughness. Debris (such as insect impacts) accumulated on the leading edge of aircraft wings generates disturbances that can amplify downstream, increase wall shear stress and spread laterally, and thus spoil the smooth laminar flow over a large extent of the wing. This early transition to turbulence leads to a considerable increase in drag and fuel consumption. We aim to improve the operational efficiency of aircraft by developing the science and technology to mitigate the effects of such ‘roughness induced transition’ (RIT). The dominant mechanisms in different Stages of RIT were revealed by a combination of wind tunnel experiments and direct numerical simulations performed as a part of our recent AFOSR funded research. Transition suppression using certain surface textures or ‘control strips’ to disrupt specific RIT mechanisms was demonstrated for simple configurations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 14, 2022
- Source ID
- FA95501910145
Entities
People
- David J. Goldstein
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- United States Air Force
- University of Texas at Austin