Direct numerical simulations of turbulent flows over superhydrophobic surfaces

Abstract

Direct numerical simulations (DNSs) are used to investigate the drag-reducing performance of superhydrophobic surfaces (SHSs) in turbulent channel flow. SHSs combine surface roughness with hydrophobicity and can, in some cases, support a shear-free air–water interface. Slip velocities, wall shear stresses and Reynolds stresses are considered for a variety of SHS microfeature geometry configurations at a friction Reynolds number of Re τ ≈ 180. For the largest microfeature spacing studied, an average slip velocity over 75% of the bulk velocity is obtained, and the wall shear stress reduction is found to be nearly 40%. The simulation results suggest that the mean velocity profile near the superhydrophobic wall continues to scale with the wall shear stress but is offset by a slip velocity that increases with increasing microfeature spacing.