Investigation of rough-wall turbulence over barnacle roughness with increasing solidity using direct numerical simulations

Abstract

Surface fouling by marine organisms such as barnacles has a major impact on the shipping sector. We use direct numerical simulations to investigate how the fluid dynamical properties of a surface change as it is gradually covered by barnacle colonies. The roughness effect peaks at intermediate coverage when approximately half of the surface is covered by barnacles. We further investigate how the roughness is perceived by the outer part of the flow using the blanketing layer concept and find a linear relationship between the roughness function and the effective slope of the blanketing layer.

Topics & Concepts