Characterization of Triangular Porous Textured Elements

This study investigates the hydrodynamic behavior of flow over a flat plate embedded with Triangular Porous Texturing (TPT) elements, a class of architected materials with tunable porosity and engineered microgeometry. TPT structures are designed to passively manipulate near-wall turbulence, reduce drag, and promote low-energy vortex generation. Flow visualization using a dye injection system was employed at 45 and 150 ml/min (Re₄₅ = 47, Fr₄₅ = 0.0198; Re₁₅₀ = 156, Fr₁₅₀ = 0.0661), targeting near-wall turbulence, recirculation, flow separation, and induced mixing. At lower velocities, flow remained predominantly streamlined with minimal separation, underscoring passive stabilization in subcritical laminar conditions. This flow regime established a baseline to contrast the dynamic behavior observed at higher velocities. At elevated flow rates, TPT elements induced vortex shedding and organized wake formation, leading to intensified mixing and oscillatory flow structures. These structures redistributed near-wall turbulence and delayed flow separation, enhancing aerodynamic and hydrodynamic performance. The study demonstrates how regime-dependent behaviors from laminar stabilization to controlled vortex excitation can be achieved through microgeometry-driven manipulation. These insights support the broader implementation of porous architected surfaces for passive flow control applications.