Experimental Analysis of Non-Uniform Surface Roughness Affecting to Flow Resistance

Experimental investigation on non-uniform surface roughness affecting to flow resistance has been carried out. Experiment was performed with the concentric cylinder device. In this experiment, we evaluated non-uniform surface roughness of various surface by the optical method and measured friction coefficient in turbulent flow over each surface roughness. As an evaluation of non-uniform surface roughness, we measured surface roughness profiles of each surface by a laser displacement sensor. Based on this surface roughness profiles, we calculated some roughness parameters such as the root mean square roughness. One important result indicates the relationship between friction coefficient and roughness Reynolds number. The friction coefficient increases logarithmically with increasing roughness Reynolds number. Moreover, to discuss the effect of non-uniform roughness in detail, the Probability Density Function (PDF) of the roughness height and the spectrum of the surface roughness profiles were analyzed. As a result, the frictional drag over the rough surface can be mostly evaluated by the roughness Reynolds number which is defined by the root mean square roughness when the probability density distribution of the surface roughness profile has Gaussian distribution. However, if the probability density distribution does not have Gaussian distribution, kurtosis and skewness of surface roughness profile are also important parameter for the evaluation of the surface roughness.