Localised performance of riblets with curved cross-sectional profiles in boundary layers past finite length bodies

Abstract

Riblets are a well-known passive drag reduction technique with the potential for as much as 9 % reduction in the frictional drag force in laboratory settings, and proven benefits for large-scale aircraft. However, less information is available on the applicability of these textures for smaller air/waterborne vehicles where assumptions such as periodicity and/or the asymptotic nature of the boundary layer (BL) no longer apply and the shape of the bodies of these vehicles can give rise to moderate levels of pressure drag. Here, we explore the effect of riblets on both sides of a finite-size foil consisting of a streamlined leading edge and a flat body in the Reynolds number range of 12 200–24 200. We use high-resolution two-dimensional, two-component particle image velocimetry, with a double illumination and a consecutive-overlapping imaging technique to capture the velocity field in both the BL and the far field. We find the local velocity profiles and shear stress distribution, as well as the frictional and pressure components of the drag force and show the possibility of achieving reduction in both the frictional and pressure components of the drag force and record a maximum cumulative drag reduction of up to 6.5 %. We present the intertwined relationship between the distribution of the spanwise-averaged shear stress distribution, the characteristics of the velocity profiles and the pressure distribution around the body, and how the local distribution of these parameters work together or against each other in enhancing or diminishing the drag-reducing ability of the riblets for the entirety of the body of interest.