Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics Commons^™

Flow Characterization Over Biomimetic Fish Scale Arrays, Isaac Nr Clapp Mr.

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The contributions of drag to energy consumption in the transportation sector are significant and often unavoidable. Biomimetic surfaces are promising as passive drag reduction mechanisms. Among them, fish scale arrays are beneficial in the laminar and transitional flow regimes but lack fundamental understanding. This research addressed this need and investigated the underlying flow mechanisms over fish scale arrays. Experimental measurements revealed the presence of flow recirculation, streamwise velocity streaks, spanwise velocity fluctuations, and wall normal vorticity streaks, all of which play a role in the near wall flow behaviour. Numerical simulations revealed the superior friction drag reduction capabilities of the …