Drag reduction by compliant coatings made of a homogeneous material

The possibility of drag reduction due to compliant coatings of viscoelastic silicone rubbers has been tested experimentally. For this purpose, a series of single-layer coatings of various thicknesses was made of a homogeneous material. The experiments were carried out in a high-speed cavitation tunnel of Pusan National University. Dynamic viscoelastic properties of coating materials were carefully measured. The range of flow rates and coating thicknesses was calculated assuming that the coatings can interact intensively with the dynamic structures of the turbulent boundary layer only in the region of frequencies of their maximum compliance. The predicted range of coating parameters and flow velocities, in which the coatings reduce drag, is compared with experimental data.