Boundary layer flow interaction with a permeable wall

Abstract

The interaction of a zero pressure gradient turbulent boundary layer flow with a rough permeable surface has been investigated experimentally. The flow interaction characteristics have been examined using a long flat plate equipped with several surface pressure transducers and pressure taps. Three types of porous materials with different porosities and permeability constants were used in these investigations. To reveal the behavior of turbulent flows over porous surfaces, measurements were performed for the boundary layer growth, energy content of the turbulent structure within the boundary layer, and surface pressure fluctuations, before, over, and after the porous test-section. The interaction of the flow with the porous substrate was found to significantly alter the energy cascade within the boundary layer. Results have also shown that the boundary layer interaction with the rough porous surfaces leads to an increase in the pressure fluctuations exerted on the wall, particularly at low frequencies. The near-field investigations have shown that the penetration of the boundary layer flow into the porous medium can generate an internal hydrodynamic field within the porous medium. This, in turn, reduces the frequency-energy content of the large boundary layer coherent structures and their spanwise correlation length. This study paves the way for further investigation into the interaction of the porous media with different flow fields and development of tailored porous treatments for improving the aerodynamic and aeroacoustic performance of different aero- and hydro-components.