Research fields

Flow control for a bluff body

1. Adaptive-passive flow control for drag reduction

A new adaptive-passive control device is introduced to optimally reduce the drag on a sphere over a wide range of Reynolds numbers, Re = 0.4 × 105–4.4 × 105. The device, called an adaptive moving ring (AMR), is designed to change its size (i.e., protrusion height) adaptively depending on the wind speed (i.e., the Reynolds number) without energy input. An empirical model is formulated to accurately predict the drag coefficient as a function of the size of AMR and the Reynolds number. Based on the model, we estimate how the optimal size of AMR should vary with the Reynolds number to maximize the drag reduction. Following the estimation of the optimal size, the optimally tuned AMR reduces its protrusion height with increasing Reynolds number, and the drag decreases monotonically by up to 74% compared to that of a smooth sphere. The drag reduction by AMR is attributed to different mechanisms depending on the Reynolds number. For low Reynolds numbers, the locally separated flow at large AMR is energized by the disturbance induced by AMR and reattaches to the sphere surface, forming a large recirculation region. Then, the main separation is delayed downstream due to the increased near-wall momentum. On the other hand, at high Reynolds numbers, no recirculation zone is formed at AMR due to its low protrusion height, but a secondary separation bubble is generated on the rear sphere surface. Therefore, the boundary-layer flow becomes turbulent, and the main separation is significantly delayed, resulting in more drag reduction than for low Reynolds numbers. 

Chae, S., Lee, S., Kim, J. & Lee, J. H. Adaptive-passive control of flow over a sphere for drag reduction Physics of Fluids 31, 015107 (2019) 

2. Flow control for a cylinder with passive jets

Circular cylinder flow is controlled using a slot and axially arranged holes (AAH) at a Reynolds number of 32000. When the slot and AAH are placed at small incidence angles from the free-stream direction, the passive jet generated on the leeward cylinder side pushes the wake vortex downstream, reducing the drag compared to the baseline cylinder. If the incidence angle is larger than the critical angle, the alternate blowing and suction induced by the slot and AAH promote a boundary-layer transition on one side and a shear-layer transition on the other. The earlier transition to turbulent flow substantially shortens the separated shear layers on both sides, shifting the wake formation region toward the base and leading to an increase in drag. The AAH has a higher critical incidence angle than the same-size slot, as the passive jet developed from the AAH undergoes a transition to alternate blowing and suction at a higher incidence angle than the slot. Just before the incidence angle of the AAH reaches the critical angle, the weak jet flow induced on the windward cylinder side delays the boundary-layer separation through early separation and laminar reattachment without shortening the separated shear layer, thereby allowing additional drag reduction. 

Kim, J., Chae, S., & Kim, J. Flow control over a circular cylinder using a slot and axially arranged holes. Ocean Engineering, 287, 115794 (2023).