Substantial drag reduction in turbulent flow using liquid-infused surfaces

Abstract

Experiments are presented that demonstrate how liquid-infused surfaces can reduce turbulent drag significantly in Taylor-Couette flow. The test liquid was water, and the test surface was composed of square microscopic grooves measuring 100 $\mu$m to 800 $\mu$m, filled with alkane liquids with viscosities from 0.3 to 1.4 times that of water. We achieve drag reduction exceeding 35\%, four times higher than previously reported for liquid-infused surfaces in turbulent flow. The level of drag reduction increased with viscosity ratio, groove width, fluid area fraction, and Reynolds number. The optimum groove width was given by $w^{+}\approx 35$.

Currently under consideration at Journal of Fluid Mechanics

References in corpus (1)

• Influence of the enclosed fluid on the flow over a microstructured surface in the Cassie state

Cited by in corpus (7)

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