Numerical investigation into turbulent drag reduction via the application of pufferfish spine-inspired cone microstructures in Suboff models

Abstract The effective reduction of seawater drag is pivotal in enhancing the speed and minimizing the energy consumption of submarines, which has significant implications in the fields of energy and defense. Surface bionics has emerged as one of the leading techniques for drag reduction. Current research primarily focuses on replicating the groove-like structures observed on shark skins and the flexible properties of dolphin skins. However, the application of cone microstructures on submarine surfaces remains relatively underexplored. In this study, a novel arrangement of bionic drag-reducing microstructures is employed to modify the turbulence structure surrounding the submarine by incorporating bionic cone microstructures at both the front and rear ends of the submarine. Numerical simulations were performed using the SST k-ω turbulence model to evaluate the impact of these frontal microstructures on drag reduction under varying Reynolds numbers, spacings, and positions, as well as the tail microstructures’ effect at different Reynolds numbers, heights, and circumferential separation angles. The findings reveal that positioning microstructures at the submarine’s head increases the drag reduction rate proportionally with the distance from the apex, displaying an inverse relationship between spacing and drag reduction rate. Conversely, an increase in cone separation angle at the tail leads to a decrease in the overall drag reduction rate. At the same time, an inverse proportionality is observed between cone height and drag reduction rate. This suggests that cone microstructures play a dual role: mitigating friction drag greatly and augmenting pressure drag, thereby achieving overall drag reduction. Moreover, these cone microstructures disrupt eddy currents within the boundary layer surrounding the submarine, restraining the propagation of turbulent momentum transfer in both the head and tail regions. This research not only pioneers a novel drag reduction strategy for underwater vehicles but also sparks new avenues for their optimized surface design.