Process for forming a surface for contact with a flowing fluid and body with such surface regions
AssigneeUlrich LaRoche
InventorsUlrich LaRoche, Hans Lucas La Roche
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A surface for contact with a fluid, flowing in a flow direction (A) over the surface, is provided with grooves (1) to prevent flow separations at low, local Reynolds numbers. The grooves extend between an upstream-directed, closed groove entrance and a downstream-directed, open groove exit and are inclined to the flow direction (A), at least in the vicinity of the groove entrance.
Claims24
A method for avoiding separation between a fluid flowing in laminar flow along a solid surface and the solid surface and for reducing frictional resistance between the fluid and the surface, the method comprising the steps of
- providing the surface with a plurality of substantially parallel grooves each groove having a length, a depth and a width wherein the length is larger than the depth and larger than the width, each groove being substantially linear along its length and having a closed end at one end of the length and an open end at an opposite end of the length, and
- orienting the plurality of grooves relative to the laminar flow such that the grooves are oblique to the flow direction with the closed ends at upstream ends of the grooves and open ends at downstream ends of the grooves.
A method for avoiding separation between a fluid flowing in laminar flow along a solid surface and the solid surface and for reducing frictional resistance between the fluid and the surface, the method comprising the steps of
- providing the surface with a plurality of substantially parallel grooves each groove having a length, a depth and a width wherein the length is larger than the depth and larger than the width, each groove being arched along at least a portion of its length and having a closed end at one end of the length and an open end at an opposite end of the length, and
- orienting the plurality of grooves relative to the laminar flow such that the grooves are oblique to the flow direction with the closed ends at upstream ends of the grooves and open ends at downstream ends of the grooves.
A surface structure for avoiding separation between said surface and a fluid flowing in laminar flow in a flow direction across said surface, the structure comprising
- a plurality of substantially parallel grooves extending across said surface, each of said grooves having a length, a depth to a bottom surface and a width wherein said length is greater than either said depth or said width, said grooves being substantially linear and being positioned on
- said surface at an angle to said flow direction, said angle having the same sense and size throughout said length;
- and
- means at an upstream end of each said groove closing said upstream end, each said downstream end being unobstructed.
A surface structure for avoiding separation between said surface and a fluid flowing in laminar flow in a flow direction across said surface, the structure comprising
- a plurality of substantially parallel grooves extending across said surface, each of said grooves having a length, a depth to a bottom surface and a width wherein said length is greater than either said depth or said width, each said groove being arched along at least a portion of its length and being positioned on said surface at an angle to said flow direction, said angle having the same sense and size throughout said length;
- and means at an upstream end of each said groove closing said upstream end, each said downstream end being unobstructed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.