Large-eddy simulation of turbulent channel flows with antifouling-featured bionic microstructures

The large-eddy simulation of a shark skin surface at Reynolds numbers of Re tau = 1200, 2400, and 4500 is carried out in a fully turbulent flow channel to investigate the antifouling mechanism of shark skin from the perspective of hydrodynamics. The antifouling properties are validated through the confocal laser scanning microscopy of microorganism settlement and a measurement of the reduction in pollutant mass. A large-eddy simulation database is then analyzed, focusing on mean and turbulent statistics, to explain the flow characteristics of timevarying fields of the flow that surrounds and skims over the shark skin. A phenomenological scenario based on instantaneous visualizations of vortical events using the Q-criterion is put forward to identify the spatiotemporal evolution of turbulent coherent structures in the outer region. Subsequently, the proposed scenario is accessed by analyzing two-point correlation coefficients, the conditional averaging of vortical events, the wall friction coefficient distribution, and the spatiotemporal evolution of vortices. The flow patterns are predominantly driven by the periodic emission of hairpin-type vortices, which form a strong shear layer and exacerbate shear stress and momentum exchange. Furthermore, these vortices are associated with the generation of a bicyclical system involving an unsteady propagation of turbulent fluids, which develops separately near the front and back of each shark scale. These modes elaborate the antifouling mechanism of shark skin. Analysis of the probability density function and the spatiotemporal map reveals that these strong events have high levels of intermittency in time and space, which vitally contributes to the antifouling properties manifested in the evolution of periodic shear friction over different surfaces.

Automated summary

The antifouling mechanism of shark skin was investigated using large-eddy simulation in a fully turbulent flow channel. The study validated the antifouling properties through experimental observations and analyzed the flow characteristics using mean and turbulent statistics. A phenomenological scenario based on instantaneous visualizations of vortical events was proposed to explain the spatiotemporal evolution of turbulent coherent structures. The study found that the flow patterns were driven by periodic emission of hairpin-type vortices, which intensified shear stress and momentum exchange.