Drag REduction at High ReynOlds NumbEr (DETHRONE)

We investigate the effectiveness of wall-manipulation strategies based on the use of “spanwise traveling waves” in the high Reynolds number regime.

Whereas most previousnumerical and experimental studies showed that the drag-reduction performance of thisclass of techniques reduces with increasing Reynolds number, a recent experimental studyby Marusic et al. (2021) has shown sustained effectiveness, however in a range of controlparameters different than typically considered.

The goal of the present study is verifying thevalidity of this conclusion at DNS-accessible Reynolds number. The societal andtechnological impact is clear, as identification of a reliable technique to achieve dragreduction in cases of practical relevance would open new avenues for reducing fuelconsumption by transport vehicles and increasing power generation by wind turbines.