Effect of free surface on the hydrodynamics of plates in cross-flow
Cylinders and flat plates oriented normal to the flow are typical bluff bodies, characterized with large regions of separated flow and a significant pressure drag component. The study of forces generated by bluff bodies has been one of the oldest problems in fluid mechanics, studied initially using free streamline theory and the modified hodograph plane theory. These canonical bodies are also used extensively in several industrial sectors, ranging from oil & gas, transportation to energy. There is a good amount of literature on the interaction between cylinders and boundaries, but very little information is available related to the interaction between flat plates and deformable boundaries. This lack of information is even more apparent when plate aspect ratio is considered as well. With this in mind, this talk focuses on hydrodynamics of plates in cross-flow near the free surface over a range of aspect ratios, Reynolds numbers, and submergence depths. Later, a few strategies for drag control, namely structural flexibility and strategic porosity are also presented.