Aerodynamic Performance Enhancement using Triangular Porous Texturing on Flat Plates: A Computational Fluid Dynamics Approach

This study examines the aerodynamic effects of Triangular Porous Texturing (TPT) elements on a flat surface subject to turbulent boundary layer flow. Three configurations are analyzed using steady state RANS simulations with the κ-ω SST turbulence model and low Reynolds number corrections: a smooth baseline flat plate, a plate with solid triangular protrusions, and a plate incorporating TPT elements. The simulations are conducted with a freestream velocity of 13 m/s, 3% turbulence intensity, and a turbulent length scale of 14.2 mm. The computational domain spans 232 mm in the streamwise direction, 60 mm in the spanwise, and 100 mm wall-normal direction. Near-wall mesh resolution includes 100 µm elements near the texture region and inflation layer designed to maintain y⁺ = 1, ensuring accurate resolution of the viscous sublayer. Flow field analysis shows that solid triangular prisms effectively dampen near-wall turbulent bursting events, while the TPT elements promote beneficial bleed-jet formation. These jets enhance momentum exchange in the lower log-law region, resulting in improved turbulent mixing and potential drag reduction. The findings highlight the promise of TPT designs as passive flow control mechanisms for boundary layer modification in aerodynamic applications.