Turbulent Boundary Layers on Surfaces Covered With Filamentous Algae

Turbulent boundary layer measurements have been made on surfaces covered with filamentous marine algae. These experiments were conducted in a closed return water tunnel using a two-component, laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV). The mean velocity profiles and parameters, as well as the axial and wall-normal turbulence intensities and Reynolds shear stress, are compared with flows over smooth and sandgrain rough walls. Significant increases in the skin friction coefficient for the algae-covered surfaces were measured. The boundary layer and integral thickness length scales were also increased. The results indicate that profiles of the turbulence quantities for the smooth and sandgrain rough walls collapse when friction velocity and boundary layer thickness are used as normalizing parameters. The algae-covered surfaces, however, exhibited a significant increase in the wall-normal turbulence intensity and the Reynolds shear stress, with only a modest increase in the axial turbulence intensity. The peak in the Reynolds shear stress profiles for the algae surfaces corresponded to the maximum extent of outward movement of the algae filaments. [S0098-2202(00)01902-7]