Space-time characteristics of a compliant wall in a turbulent channel flow

The space-time characteristics of a compliant wall in a turbulent channel flow are investigated using direct numerical simulation (DNS). The compliant wall is modelled as a homogeneous plane supported by spring-and-damper arrays and is passively driven by wall-pressure fluctuations. The frequency/wavenumber spectra and convection velocities of the wall-pressure fluctuations, wall displacement and wall velocity are obtained from the present simulation. As the spring, damping, and tension coefficients decrease, the wall becomes softer and the wall displacement and velocity fluctuations increase. For a relatively stiff compliant wall (i.e. large spring, damping and streamwise tension coefficients), there are few changes in the skin-friction drag and near-wall turbulence structures. However, when a compliant wall is soft (i.e. small spring, damping and streamwise tension coefficients), the wall moves in the form of a large-amplitude quasi-two-dimensional wave travelling in the downstream direction. This wave is generated by the resonance of the wall property and the near-wall flow is significantly activated by this wall motion. The power spectra of wall variables show distinct peaks near the resonance frequencies. The convection velocities of the wall motion and wall-pressure fluctuations become smaller with a softer wall.