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Drag

Drag

Drag is a resistive force opposing an object’s motion through a fluid, resulting from surface pressure and shear forces. It comprises two components: a perpendicular one from pressure and a tangential one from shear stress. Accurate drag calculations use pressure and wall shear stress distributions, often determined through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) or wind tunnel testing. The drag coefficient, a dimensionless measure, depends on factors like shape, Reynolds number, Mach number,...

General External Flow Characteristics

General External Flow Characteristics

The study of external flow is essential for creating structures and objects that interact efficiently and safely with moving fluids, such as air or water. When a body is immersed in a flowing fluid, it experiences two primary forces: drag, which opposes motion along the flow direction, and lift, which acts perpendicular to the flow. The shape, size, and orientation of the object influence these forces.Streamlined and Blunt Bodies in External FlowObjects in fluid flow are classified as...

Surface Tension of Fluid

Surface Tension of Fluid

Surface tension is a fundamental property of fluids, occurring at the boundary between a liquid and a gas or between two immiscible liquids. This phenomenon arises from the cohesive forces between molecules at the fluid's surface, creating an effect similar to a stretched elastic membrane. Inside each fluid, molecules are equally attracted in all directions by neighboring molecules, but surface molecules experience a net inward force, resulting in surface tension.
Surface tension varies...

Drag Force and Terminal Speed

Drag Force and Terminal Speed

An interesting force in everyday life is the force of drag on an object when it is moving in a fluid. Like friction, the drag force always opposes the motion of an object. Unlike simple friction, the drag force is proportional to some function of the velocity of the object in that fluid. This functionality is complicated and depends upon the shape of the object, its size, its velocity, and the fluid it is in. For most large objects, such as cyclists, cars, and baseballs, that are not moving too...

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Couette flow represents the flow of fluid between two parallel plates, with one plate fixed and the other moving with a constant velocity. This configuration allows for a simplified analysis using the Navier-Stokes equations, which govern fluid motion under conditions of viscosity and incompressibility. For Couette flow, the assumptions include a steady, laminar, incompressible flow with a zero-pressure gradient in the flow direction. This flow type is beneficial for understanding shear-driven...

Fluid Pressure over Flat Plate of Variable Width

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When a flat plate is submerged in a fluid, the fluid exerts pressure on the plate. This pressure can lead to many different phenomena, including drag and buoyancy. To understand the behavior of the fluid over a flat plate of variable width, it is essential to analyze the distribution of the pressure exerted.
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Related Experiment Video

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Taking Advantage of Reduced Droplet-surface Interaction to Optimize Transport of Bioanalytes in Digital Microfluidics

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On the fluid drag reduction in scallop surface.

Botong Li¹, Zitian Zhao¹, Linyu Meng¹

¹School of Mathematics and Physics, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China.

The European Physical Journal. E, Soft Matter

|June 3, 2024

Summary

Scallop shell textures reduce fluid drag, inspired by nature for maritime engineering. This biomimetic study reveals how ribbed surfaces decrease friction and pressure drag in turbulent flows.

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Area of Science:

Biomimetics
Fluid Dynamics
Marine Engineering

Background:

Shark skin riblets are known for drag reduction.
Scallop shells possess unique ribbed textures.

Purpose of the Study:

Investigate drag reduction potential of scallop shell textures.
Explore biomimetic applications in maritime engineering.

Main Methods:

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations.
Modeled a conical shell with undulating surface patterns.
Simulated turbulent fluid flow at various orientations.

Main Results:

Appreciable friction drag reduction observed.
Ribbed hierarchical structures are key to friction reduction.
Partial pressure drag reduction depends on scallop orientation.

Conclusions:

Scallop textures offer biomimetic solutions for drag reduction.
Findings applicable to maritime engineering and vessel design.
Expands understanding of biological drag reduction strategies.