Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Turbulent boundary-layer structure of flows over freshwater biofilms

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Experiments in Fluids Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The structure of the turbulent boundary-layer for flows over freshwater biofilms dominated by the diatom Tabellaria flocculosa was investigated. Biofilms were grown on large test plates under flow conditions in an Australian hydropower canal for periods up to 12 months. Velocity-profile measurements were obtained using LDV in a recirculating water tunnel for biofouled, smooth and artificially sandgrain roughened surfaces over a momentum thickness Reynolds number range of 3,000–8,000. Significant increases in skin friction coefficient of up to 160 % were measured over smooth-wall values. The effective roughnesses of the biofilms, k s, were significantly higher than their physical roughness measured using novel photogrammetry techniques and consisted of the physical roughness and a component due to the vibration of the biofilm mat. The biofilms displayed a k-type roughness function, and a logarithmic relationship was found between the roughness function and roughness Reynolds number based on the maximum peak-to-valley height of the biofilm, R t. The structure of the boundary layer adhered to Townsend’s wall-similarity hypothesis even though the scale separation between the effective roughness height and the boundary-layer thickness was small. The biofouled velocity-defect profiles collapsed with smooth and sandgrain profiles in the outer region of the boundary layer. The Reynolds stresses and quadrant analysis also collapsed in the outer region of the boundary layer.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Andrewartha JM (2010) The effect of freshwater biofilms on turbulent boundary layers and the implications for hydroelectric canals. PhD Thesis, University of Tasmania, Hobart

  • Andrewartha J, Perkins K, Sargison J, Osborn J, Walker G, Henderson A, Hallegraeff G (2010) Drag force and surface roughness measurements on freshwater biofouled surfaces. Biofouling 26(4):487–496

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Antonia RA, Luxton RE (1971) The response of a turbulent boundary layer to a step change in surface roughness part 1. Smooth to rough. J Fluid Mech 48(4):721–761

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bakken OM, Krogstad PA, Ashrafian A, Andersson HI (2005) Reynolds number effects in the outer layer of the turbulent flow in a channel with rough walls. Phys Fluids 17:065101

    Google Scholar 

  • Bandyopadhyay PR (1987) Rough-wall turbulent boundary layers in the transition regime. J Fluid Mech 180:231–266

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barton A (2007) Friction, roughness and boundary layer characteristics of freshwater biofilms in hydraulic conduits. PhD Thesis, University of Tasmania, Hobart

  • Barton A, Wallis M, Sargison J, Buia A, Walker G (2008) Hydraulic roughness of biofouled pipes, biofilm character, and measured improvements from cleaning. J Hydraul Eng 134(6):852–857

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barton A, Sargison J, Osborn J, Perkins K, Hallegraeff G (2010) Characterizing the roughness of freshwater biofilms using a photogrammetric methodology. Biofouling 26(4):439–448

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bergstrom DJ, Kotey NA, Tachie MF (2002) The effects of surface roughness on the mean velocity profile in a turbulent boundary layer. J Fluids Eng 124:664–670

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bradshaw P (1959) A simple method of determining skin friction from velocity profiles. J Aerosp Sci 26:841

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brzek B, Cal RB, Johansson G, Castillo L (2007) Inner and outer scalings in rough surface zero pressure gradient turbulent boundary layers. Phys Fluids 19(6):065101–065117

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buchave P, George WK, Lumley JL (1979) The measurement of turbulence with the laser-doppler anemometer. Ann Rev Fluid Mech 11:443–503

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Castro I (2007) Rough-wall boundary layers: mean flow universality. J Fluid Mech 585:469–485

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Coleman H, Steele W (1995) Engineering application of experimental uncertainty analysis. AIAA J 33(10):1888–1895

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coles D (1956) The law of the wake in the turbulent boundary layer. J Fluid Mech 1:191–226

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Coles DE (1962) The turbulent boundary layer in a compressible fluid. A report prepared for United States Air Force Project RAND, R-403-PR, The RAND Corporation, California

  • Coles D (1969) Turbulent boundary layers in pressure gradients: a survey lecture prepared for the 1968. AFOSR-IFP-stanford conference on computation of turbulent boundary layers. United States Air Force Project RAND

  • Connelly JS, Schultz MP, Flack KA (2006) Velocity-defect scaling for turbulent boundary layers with a range of relative roughness. Exp Fluids 40:188–195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DeGraaf D, Eaton J (2000) Reynolds-number scaling of the flat-plate boundary layer. J Fluid Mech 422:319–346

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Durst F, Jovanovic J, Sender J (1995) LDA measurements in the near-wall region of a turbulent pipe flow. J Fluid Mech 295:305–335

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edwards R (1987) Report on the special panel on statistical particle bias problems in laser anemometry. J Fluids Eng 109:89–93

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flack KA, Schultz MP, Shapiro TA (2005) Experimental support of Townsend's Reynolds number similarity hypothesis on rough walls. Phys Fluids 17:035102

    Google Scholar 

  • Godillot R, Caussade B, Ameziane T, Capblancq J (2001) Interplay between turbulence and periphyton in rough open-channel flow. J Hydraul Res 39(3):227–239

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hancock PE, Bradshaw P (1983) The effect of free-stream turbulence on turbulent boundary layers. J Fluids Eng 105:284–289

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hong J, Katz J, Schultz MP (2011) Near-wall turbulence statistics and flow structures over three-dimensional roughness in a turbulent channel flow. J Fluid Mech 667:1–37

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Jimenez J (2004) Turbulent flows over rough walls. Ann Rev Fluid Mech 36:173–196

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Karlsson RI, Eriksson J, Persson J (1993) LDV measurements in a plane wall jet in a large enclosure. Paper presented at the 6th international symposium on LDA, Lisbon, Portugal

  • Keirsbulck L, Labraga L, Mazouz A, Tournier C (2002) Surface roughness effects on turbulent boundary layer structures. J Fluids Eng 124:127–135

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krogstad PA, Antonia RA (1999) Surface roughness effects in turbulent boundary layers. Exp Fluids 27:450–460

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krogstad PA, Antonia RA, Browne LWB (1992) Comparison between rough- and smooth-wall turbulent boundary layers. J Fluid Mech 245:599–617

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krogstad PA, Andersson HI, Bakken OM, Ashrafian A (2005) An experimental and numerical study of channel flow with rough walls. J Fluid Mech 530:327–352

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Kunkel GJ, Allen JJ, Smits AJ (2007) Further support for townsend’s reynolds number similarity hypothesis in high reynolds number rough-wall pipe flow. Phys Fluids 19(5)

  • Lewkowicz A, Das D (1985) Turbulent boundary layers on rough surfaces with and without a pliable overlayer: a simulation of marine fouling. International shipbuilding progress, marine technology monthly 32:174–186

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewthwaite J, Molland A, Thomas K (1985) An investigation into the variation of ship skin frictional resistance with fouling. Trans RINA 127:269–284

    Google Scholar 

  • Ligrani PM, Moffat RJ (1986) Structure of transitionally rough and fully rough turbulent boundary layers. J Fluid Mech 162:69–98

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • Lu SS, Willmarth WW (1973) Measurements of the structure of the reynolds stress in a turbulent boundary layer. J Fluid Mech 60(3):481–511

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marusic I, Monty JP, Hultmark M, Smits AJ (2013) On the logarithmic region in wall turbulence. J Fluid Mech 716:R3

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  • McKeon B, Li J, Jiang W, Morrison J, Smits AJ (2004) Further observations on the mean velocity distribution in fully developed pipe flow. J Fluid Mech 201:135–147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nezu I, Nakagawa H (1993) Turbulence in open-channel flows. IAHR monograph series. Balkema Publishers, Rotterdam

    Google Scholar 

  • Nikuradse J (1933) Law of flow in rough pipes (Trans of “Stomungsgesetze in rahen Rohren”). NACA Report 1292

  • Patel V (1965) Calibration of the Preston tube and limitations of its use in pressure gradients. J Fluid Mech 23(1):185–208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perkins K, Andrewartha J, McMinn A, Cook S, Hallegraeff G (2010) Succession and physiological health of freshwater microalgal fouling in a Tasmanian hydropower canal. Biofouling 26(6):637–644

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perry AE, Li JD (1990) Experimental support for the attached-eddy hypothesis in zero-pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layers. J Fluid Mech 218:405–438

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peterson CG (2007) Ecology of non-marine algae: streams. In: McCarthy PM, Orchard AE (eds) Algae of Australia: introduction. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, pp 434–458

  • Raupach MR, Antonia RA, Rajagopalan S (1991) Rough-wall turbulent boundary layers. Appl Mech Rev 44(1):1–25

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds A (1974) Turbulent flows in engineering. Wiley, Great Britain

    Google Scholar 

  • Sargison J, Barton A, Walker G, Brandner P (2009) Design and calibration of a water tunnel for skin friction research. Aust J Mech Eng 7(2):1–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Schultz MP (2000) Turbulent Boundary Layers on Surfaces Covered with Filamentous Algae. J Fluids Eng 122:357–363

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schultz MP, Flack KA (2005) Outer layer similarity in fully rough turbulent boundary layers. Exp Fluids 38:328–340

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schultz MP, Flack KA (2007) The rough-wall turbulent boundary layer from the hydraulically smooth to the fully rough regime. J Fluid Mech 580:381–405

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Schultz MP, Flack KA (2009) Turbulent boundary layers on a systematically varied rough wall. Phys Fluids 21(015104):015101–015109

    Google Scholar 

  • Schultz MP, Swain GW (1999) The effect of biofilms on turbulent boundary layers. J Fluids Eng 121:44–51

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shockling MA, Allen JJ, Smits AJ (2006) Roughness effects in turbulent pipe flow. J Fluid Mech 564:267–285

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Spalding DB (1961) A single formula for the “law of the wall”. J Appl Mech 28:455–458

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  • Swain GW, Herpe S, Ralston E, Tribou M (2006) Short-term testing of antifouling surfaces: the importance of colour. Biofouling 22(6):425–429

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tachie MF, Bergstrom DJ, Balachandar R (2004) Roughness effects on the mixing properties in open channel turbulent boundary layers. J Fluids Eng 126:1025–1032

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thole KA, Bogard DG (1996) High freestream turbulence effects on turbulent boundary layers. J Fluids Eng 118:279–284

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Townsend A (1976) The structure of turbulent shear flow. Cambridge monographs on mechanics and applied mathematics. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Townsin RL (2003) The ship hull fouling penalty. Biofouling 19:9–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wallace JM, Eckelmann H, Brodkey RS (1972) The wall region in turbulent shear flow. J Fluid Mech 54(1):39–48

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Winter KG (1977) An outline of the techniques available for the measurement of skin friction in turbulent boundary layers. Prog Aerosp Sci 18:1–57

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu Y, Christensen KT (2007) Outer-layer similarity in the presence of a practical rough-wall topography. Phys Fluids 19:085108

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang Z, Eisele K (1995) Off-axis alignment of an LDA-probe and the effect of astigmatism on measurements. Exp Fluids 19:89–94

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was funded by Australian Research Council Linkage Grants (LP0667925 and LP100100700) and Hydro Tasmania. The contributions of Dr Kathryn Perkins and Prof Gustaaf Hallegraeff (identification of biofouling species), Dr Greg Walker (boundary-layer profile analysis) and Dr Jon Osborn and Alex Leith (photogrammetry), the workshop staff at the School of Engineering, University of Tasmania and the many Hydro Tasmania staff who assisted throughout the project are gratefully acknowledged. The authors would like to thank Prof Michael Schultz and Prof Karen Flack of the United States Naval Academy for sharing their boundary-layer profile data and providing thoughtful suggestions on the manuscript. The feedback of the three anonymous reviewers was also appreciated.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Centre for Maritime Engineering and Hydrodynamics, Australian Maritime College, University of Tasmania, Launceston, TAS, 7248, Australia

    J. M. Walker

  2. JSA Consulting Engineers, Hobart, TAS, 7005, Australia

    J. E. Sargison

  3. School of Engineering, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, 7001, Australia

    A. D. Henderson

Authors
  1. J. M. Walker
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. E. Sargison
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A. D. Henderson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. M. Walker.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Walker, J.M., Sargison, J.E. & Henderson, A.D. Turbulent boundary-layer structure of flows over freshwater biofilms. Exp Fluids 54, 1628 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-013-1628-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-013-1628-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation