Engineering of surfaces for drag reduction in water with validation using computational and experimental methods

Lead Research Organisation: Nottingham Trent University
Department Name: School of Science & Technology

Abstract

The concept of using air coated hulls to reduce drag has previously been suggested in the maritime literature. Reducing the skin friction component of drag by injecting microbubbles was first reported in 1973 by the US Naval Academy using a cylinder coated with small bubbles of hydrogen generated by electrolysis to study reduction in friction. More recently, the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) funded a programme to research reduction in friction drag focusing on developing numerical models and computer simulations for air/bubble injection and supported by scale model experiments. In Japan, the National Maritime Research Institute (NMRI) and the Shipbuilding Research Association has carried out microbubble experiment using ships and scale models in addition to plate experiments in test tanks. It has been reported that both an effect due to the reduced viscosity of air and the shearing of bubbles in the boundary layer occur. Skin friction reductions of up to 5% were reported for ships and up to 10% drag reduction for flat plates. In these experiments, and the US ones, the microbubbles were active injections and had a power penalty; they were only effective near the point of injection because they did not remain within the boundary layer close to the hull. In the NMRI full-scale tests they also degraded the efficiency of propellers. Another approach pioneered in Russia has been to pump air behind wedge and stepped shaped features to create an air-film along the body of the object (e.g. torpedo) or via supercavitation to create the same effect. Researchers in the Netherlands have also reported a net 10% reduction in drag for a barge using active air lubrication and DARPA has funded an air cavity drag reduction (AirCat) programme with a target of reducing by 80% the hull wetted area. It is clear that air films retained at a submerged solid surface should be able to reduce drag, but current approaches require an active input of energy to do so. The materials approach in our proposal seeks to provide the equivalent of a bubble layer or an air film in a manner that does not require active power input and which has a strong chance of being retained at the surface where it is needed for maximum effect. In this work, we provide comprehensive research including materials developments, computational fluid dynamics modelling of the surface region, and drag and tow tank testing. Our approach is based on the creation of super-water repellent surfaces using a combination of small-scale (micro- and/or nano-scale) topography and surface chemistry that also have the ability to retain a film of air when submerged in water. This involves collaboration between three research groups (Materials/Physical Sciences, Aerodynamics & Flight Mechanics and the Wolfson Marine Unit).
 
Description The concept of using air coated hulls to reduce drag has previously been suggested in the maritime literature. In one approach microbubbles were actively injected close to ship hulls, but this had a power penalty; they were only effective near the point of injection because they did not remain within the boundary layer close to the hull.



In this work we used a superhdyrophobic materials approach to provide an air film (a plastron) on test samples in a manner that did not require active power input. We conducted drag reduction tests in tow tanks and a recirculating water chamber. We demonstrated that it was possible to reduce drag of a non-wetting sample compared to a wetting sample. We used analytical calculations to derive exact formulae in the low Reynolds numbers regime showing the extent of drag reduction possible. We extended this to higher Reynold's numbers using finite element calculations. We also developed computational fluid dynamics modelling of flow past plastron retaining surfaces.
Exploitation Route The use of this research would be in drag reducing coatings for a range of applications. This work has relevance to the flow of liquid past any submerged object (e.g. ship, boat) or through any tube or pipe.
Sectors Energy

Transport

URL http://www.naturesraincoats.com/
 
Description The findings have demonstrated how drag can be reduced using materials methods.
First Year Of Impact 2009
Sector Aerospace, Defence and Marine
Impact Types Economic

 
Description 2014 Conference - American Physical Society 67th Meeting of the Division of Fluid Dynamics (San Francisco, USA) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Research Talk - "Drag reduction for flow past a perfectly hydrophobic sphere", McHale et al, 24th November 2014
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
URL http://www.aps.org/meetings/meeting.cfm?name=DFD14
 
Description 2014 Conference - Flow2014 (Twente, Netherlands) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Research Poster - "Lubricating flow with sheathing fluids:Superhydrophobic surfaces and Leidenfrrost layers", McHale et al, 19th May 2014
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
 
Description 2014 Conference - Smart and Green Interfaces Conference (Marseille, France) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Research Talk - "Liquid dielectrophoresis induced wetting in liquid-liquid systems", Trabi et al, 22nd April 2014
Research Talk - "Lubricating flows from sheathing fluids: Superhydrophobic surfaces and Leidenfrost layers", McHale et al, 22nd April 2014
Research Talk - "Superspreading using interface localized liquid dielectrophoresis", Brown et al, 23rd April 2014
Research Talk - "Tow tank experiments on large scale superhydrophobic flat plates for drag reduction", Brennan et al, 22nd April 2014
Research Talk - "Facile method for producing large conformable superhydrophobic surfaces demonstrating drag reducing properties", Geraldi et al, 22nd April 2014
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
 
Description 2015 Conference - 38th Meeting of the US Adhesion Society (Savannah, USA) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Research Poster - "Lubricating flows by sheathing solid surfaces", McHale et al, 23rd February 2015
Research Talk (Keynote) - "Liquid in fluid dielectrowetting", McHale et al, 24th February 2015
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015
URL http://www.adhesionsociety.org/
 
Description 2015 Conference - Nanjing Universities (Nanjing Normal University and Nanjing Institute of Technology) (Nanjing, China) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact Research Talks to Undergraduates in China - "Engineering smart liquid surfaces", McHale, 19th and 21st October 2015
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015
 
Description 2015 Seminar - Kyushu University (Fukuoka, Japan) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact Seminar to undergraduate (and postgraduate) students - "Immersed superhydrophobicity, reconfigurable substrates and shaped liquid surfaces", McHale, 1st June 2015
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015
 
Description 2015 Seminar - Mechanical and Chemical Engineering at MIT (Boston, USA) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Seminar at MIT to McKinley, Varanasi and Cohen Groups - "Surface-fluid interactions", McHale, 16th November 2015
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015
 
Description 2015 Seminar - Physics Department (Durham, UK) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Research talk to Condensed Matter Physics at Durham University - "Surface-fluid interactions", McHale, 25th November 2015
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2015
URL https://www.dur.ac.uk/xrdur/seminars/?seminar=4385
 
Description 2016 Conference - 11th European Fluid Mechanics Conference (EFMC11) (Seville, Spain)  
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact 2016 Conference - 11th European Fluid Mechanics Conference (EFMC11) (Seville, Spain) 12/09/2016 16/09/2016

Contributed Research Talk - Hydrophobic Conformable Surfaces for the Reduction of Drag
Nicasio R. Geraldi, Joseph C. Brennan, Linzi E. Dodd, Ben Xu, Gary Wells, Robert H. Morris, David J. Fairhurst, David Wood, Michael I. Newton and Glen McHale
EP/L026899/1, EP/L026341/1, EP/L026619/1 and EP/G057265/1
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL http://www.efmc11.org/q2/cgi.hrb?idexp=XWQ5B&main=homeen
 
Description 2016 Seminar - Materials Engineering Research Institute (MERI) at Sheffield Hallam University (Sheffield, UK) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact 2016 Seminar - Materials Engineering Research Institute (MERI) at Sheffield Hallam University (Sheffield, UK) 13th June 2016

Surface-Fluid Interactions: From Slip Boundary Conditions to a Leidenfrost (Heat) Engine
Glen McHale
EP/L026899/1, EP/L026619/1, EP/L026341/1, EP/K014803/1, EP/K015192/1, EP/G057265/1, EP/E063489/1
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
 
Description 2016 Seminar - Process Intensification Group at Newcastle University (Newcastle upon Tyne, UK) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact 2016 Seminar - Process Intensification Group at Newcastle University (Newcastle upon Tyne, UK) 7th October 2016

Liquid Adventures with Smart Surfaces
Glen McHale
EP/L026899/1, EP/L026619/1, EP/L026341/1, EP/K014803/1, EP/K015192/1, EP/G057265/1, EP/E063489/1
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
 
Description 2016 Seminar - Schlumberger-Gould Research plc (Cambridge, UK) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Industry/Business
Results and Impact 2016 Seminar - Schlumberger -Gould Research plc (Cambridge, UK) 5th August 2016

Surface-Fluid Interactions: From Slip Boundary Conditions to a Leidenfrost (Heat) Engine
Glen McHale
EP/L026899/1, EP/L026619/1, EP/L026341/1, EP/K014803/1, EP/K015192/1, EP/G057265/1, EP/E063489/1
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
 
Description 2017 Conference - 24th Annual CSCST-SCI Conference (Newcastle upon Tyne, UK) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact 2017 Conference - 24th Annual CSCST-SCI Conference (Newcastle upon Tyne, UK) 23/06/2017 24/06/2017
Contributed Research Talk - Facile method for the production of lubricant Impregnated surfaces on complex geometries
Nicasio Geraldi
EP/L026899/1, EP/L026341/1, EP/L026619/1 and EP/G057265/1
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
URL http://cscst.org/Conference2017/
 
Description 2017 Conference - Hydrogenius and I2CNER Joint Research Symposium (International Institute for Carbon Neutral Energy Research ( I2CNER), Kyushu University, Japan) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact 2017 Conference - Hydrogenius and I2CNER Joint Research Symposium (International Institute for Carbon Neutral Energy Research ( I2CNER), Kyushu University, Japan) 03/02/2017

Invited Research Talk - Capillarity, Wetting and Smart Surfaces: "From Droplets to a Sublimation Heat Engine
EP/L026899/1, EP/L026619/1, EP/L026341/1, EP/K014803/1, EP/K015192/1, EP/G057265/1, EP/E063489/1
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
URL http://i2cner.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/team/team_detail.php?code=4
 
Description 2017 Seminar - Department of Civil Engineering at University of Hong Kong (University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact 2016 Seminar - Department of Civil Engineering at University of Hong Kong (University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong) 09/01/2017

Liquid Adventures with Smart Surfaces: "From Extreme Water Repellency to Drag Reduction and Slippery Surfaces"
Glen McHale
EP/L026899/1, EP/L026619/1, EP/L026341/1, EP/H000704/1, EP/G057265/1, EP/E063489/1, EP/D500826/1, EP/C509161/1, GR/R02184/01
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
 
Description 2017 Seminar - Department of Mechanical Engineering at City University Hong Kong  
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact 2017 Seminar - Department of Mechanical Engineering at City University Hong Kong (City University, Hong Kong) 11/01/2017

Liquid Adventures with Smart Surfaces: "From Slip Boundary Conditions to a Leidenfrost (Heat) Engine"
EP/L026899/1, EP/L026619/1, EP/L026341/1, EP/K014803/1, EP/K015192/1, EP/G057265/1, EP/E063489/1
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description 2017 Seminar - Department of Mechanical Engineering at Colorado State University (Fort Collins, USA) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact 2017 Seminar - Department of Mechanical Engineering at Colorado State University (Fort Collins, USA) 11th August 2017

2017 Seminar - From Superhydrophobic to Super-Slippery Surfaces
Glen McHale

Survey of wide range of EPSRC work
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
URL http://www.physics.colostate.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2017/08/McHaleSeminar_Flyer.pdf
 
Description 2017 Workshop - UK Fluids Network, Drop Dynamics Special Interest Group (Oxford University, UK) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact UK Fluids Network, Drop Dynamics Special Interest Group (Oxford University, UK) 3/4/2017

Contributed Research Talk - Smart and Bio-Inspired Surfaces
Drag plus EP/K014803/1 EP/K015192/1, EP/L026899/1, EP/L026619/1, and EP/L026341/1
Glen McHale
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
URL https://fluids.ac.uk/
 
Description 2018 Institute of Physics NE Branch Public Understanding Talk 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact 2018 Institute of Physics NE Branch Public Understanding Talk

Nature's Raincoats - Surface Inspiration from Lotus Leaves to Pitcher Plants (Northumbria University, UK) 26/10/18

Glen McHale
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description 2018 Public Understanding - "Nature's Raincoats" at the East Midlands Big Bang Fair (Derby, UK) 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact 2018 Public Understanding - "Nature's Raincoats" at the East Midlands Big Bang Fair (Derby, UK) 28/06/ 2018
Physical exhibition with demonstrations
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description 2018 Seminar - Department of Mechanical Engineering at University of Bath (UK) 27th November 2018 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact 2018 Seminar - Smart Super-Slippery Surfaces
Glen McHale
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description 2018 Seminar - Department of Mechanical Engineering at University of Glasgow (UK) 9th March 2018 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact 2018 Seminar - From Superhydrophobic to Super-Slippery Surfaces
Glen McHale
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description 2019 Seminar - Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials at University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, USA) 15th February 2019 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact 2019 Seminar - From Superhydrophobic to Super-Slippery Surfaces
Glen McHale
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
 
Description Conference 2014 - 10th European Fluid Mechanics Conference EFMC10 (Copenhagen, Denmark) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Research Talk - "Influence of the air-layer flow on drag reduction by superhydrophobic surfaces", Busse et al, 14th September 2014
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
URL http://www.euromech.org/conferences
 
Description Cutting Edge 2012: The Research Behind Sport (TCUK-RI Olympics, 2012) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? Yes
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Enthusing people and creating a video for the RI

Video for RI
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2012
 
Description Shaping Liquids, Controlling Surfaces (NE IoP, 2014) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? Yes
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact TBC
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013
 
Description Water: A Tale of two surfaces (Public Lecture UNN, 2013) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? Yes
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact TBC
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013