Turbulent Boundary Layer over Flat Plate with Rigid and Flexible Surfaces

Abstract

This paper presents an investigation concerning a turbulent boundary layer over a flat plate with flexible surface. Experiments were carried out in a wind tunnel for a flat plate model with rigid as well as flexible surfaces. Detailed measurements of mean velocity profiles, pressure distribution, and drag force were taken. For numerical prediction of the turbulent boundary layer characteristics, thin shear layer equations were solved numerically by finite‐difference technique using a modified turbulence model. Results of this study indicate a number of important differences between the characteristics of flow over rigid and flexible surfaces. The mean velocity of flow in the case of flexible surfaces is smaller than the corresponding velocity of flow in the case of rigid surface for major part of the boundary layer. The boundary‐layer thicknesses are consistently higher on flexible surfaces than those on the corresponding rigid surface. Further, in the case of flexible surfaces, drag reduction has always been observed during the present study.