Review of Skin Friction Measurements Including Recent High-Reynolds Number Results from NASA Langley NTF

Content Provider	Semantic Scholar
Author	Watson, Ralph D. Hall, Robert M. Anders, John B.
Copyright Year	2000
Abstract	Ralph D Watson"Flow Physics and Control BranchRobert M. Hall*Configuration Aerodynamics BranchJohn B. Anders"Flow Physics and Control BranchNASA, Langley Research CenterHampton, Virginia 23681ABSTRACTThis paper reviews flat plate skin friction datafrom early correlations of drag on plates in waterto measurements in the cryogenic environment ofThe NASA Langley National Transonic Facility(NTF) in late 1996. The flat plate (zero pressuregradient with negligible surface curvature)incompressible skin friction at high Reynoldsnumbers is emphasized in this paper, due to itsimportance in assessing the accuracy ofmeasurements, and as being important to theaerodynamics of large scale vehicles. Acorrelation of zero pressure gradient skin frictiondata minimizing extraneous effects between testsis often used as the first step in the calculation ofskin friction in complex flows. Early data compiledby Schoenherr for a range of momentum thicknessReynolds numbers, Re, from 860 to 370,000contained large scatter, but has provedsurprisingly accurate in its correlated form.Subsequent measurements in wind tunnels undermore carefully controlled conditions have providedinputs to this database, usually to a maximum Reof about 40,000. Data on a large axisymmetricmodel in the NASA Langley National TransonicFacility extends the upper limit in incompressibleRe to 619,800 using the van Driest transformation.Previous data, test techniques, and error sourcesare discussed, and the NTF data will be discussedin detail. The NTF Preston tube and Clauserinferred data accuracy is estimated to be within- 2 percent of a power-law curve fit, and fallsabove the Spalding theory by 1 percent at Re ofabout 600,000.1. INTRODUCTIONThe design of transport aircraft requires thataccurate estimates of skin friction be made atlength Reynolds numbers around 109 and Machnumbers of approximately 0.8, corresponding tocruise conditions 1. This estimate is often made byfirst calculating the flat plate incompressible skinfriction and then correcting for various effects suchas pressure gradient, three-dimensionality of theflow, compressibility, etc. Several baselinetheories/correlations are available, most of whichdiffer in the skin friction level predicted at highReynolds numbers where there has been a dearthof data.As will be shown, the most commonly usedcorrelations of skin friction do not agree to the* Senior Member AIAA"Associate Fellow AIAACopyright' 2000 by the AmericanInstitute of Aeronauticsand Astronautics,Inc. No copyright is assertedin the United States underTitle 17, U.S.Code. The U.S. Government has a royalty-freelicense to exercise all rights under the copyright claimed herein forgovernment purposes. All other rights are reserved by the copyright owner.1American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc.
File Format	PDF HTM / HTML
DOI	10.2514/6.2000-2392
Alternate Webpage(s)	https://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20000059225.pdf
Alternate Webpage(s)	https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2000-2392
Language	English
Access Restriction	Open
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article