Numerical investigation of V-shaped riblets and an improved model of riblet effects.

Symmetric V-shaped riblets are simulated by using the computational fluid dynamic method to understand the riblet effects on the turbulent boundary layer and the skin friction reduction. Three classical turbulence models, namely Spalart–Allmaras, shear stress transport, and re-normalization group k-epsilon models, are investigated under different grid densities. The re-normalization group model produces good results consistent with the experiment, as compared with the existing theoretical and experimental drag results of the flat plate and the V-shaped riblets with different sizes. Simulating V-shaped riblets yield the unexpected discovery that the shear stress transport model produces large errors, and the Spalart–Allmaras model even produces results of qualitative errors. Another finding is that von Kármán’s constants can no longer meet the requirement of describing velocity profiles in the logarithmic law layer. Aside from the traditional shift of the logarithmic law’s intercept, the slope is also changed by riblet height and spacing. Therefore, an improved model of riblet effects is proposed by redefining von Kármán’s constants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]