Separation control over a grooved surface inspired by dolphin skin

Over many decades the biological surfaces of aquatic swimmers have been studied for their potential as drag reducing surfaces. The hydrodynamic benefit of riblets, or grooves embedded parallel to the flow which appear on surfaces such as shark skin, have been well documented. However the skin of dolphins is embedded with sinusoidal grooves that run perpendicular or transverse to the flow over their bodies. It is theorized that the transverse grooves present on dolphin skin trap vortices between them, creating a partial slip condition over the surface and inducing turbulence augmentation in the boundary layer, thus acting as a potential mechanism to reduce flow separation and thus pressure drag. In an attempt to test this hypothesis and study these effects, an adverse pressure gradient was induced above a flat plate resulting in a controlled region of flow separation occurring within a tripped, turbulent boundary layer. Small transverse grooves of both rectangular and sinusoidal shape were 3D printed and mounted to the plate to measure their effect on the boundary layer flow. The results were compared to a flat plate without grooves using digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV). The strength of the adverse pressure gradient was varied, and the observed control in flow separation and other effects upon the boundary layer are discussed.