Fluid entrapment via perforated surfaces for drag reduction

Abstract

A reduced drag surface involves a perforated or porous surface exposed to a flowing fluid and a slip interface disposed between the surface and the flowing fluid, wherein the slip interface is formed from an entrapped fluid trapped at the surface. A method for modifying a drag coefficient on a reduced drag surface involves the steps of supplying a fluid to a perforated or porous surface exposed to a flowing fluid, wherein the surface traps the fluid at the surface to form an entrapped fluid and forming a slip interface between the surface and the flowing fluid, wherein the slip interface is formed from the entrapped fluid. An apparatus for a reduced drag surface includes the reduced drag surface described above and a source of fluid fluidically coupled to the surface such that the source supplied fluid to the surface to form the entrapped fluid.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.