Interaction between a compliant material and an unstable boundary layer flow

The response of a compliant coating to pressure fluctuations due to an unsteady boundary layer flow and the effect of the response on the stability of the flow field are examined. A pseudospectral solution of the Navier--Stokes equations is coupled to a finite element calculation of the behavior of the compliant material. In particular, the effect of material response on the growth rate of a Tollmien--Schlichting type instability in an unstable boundary layer is examined. Results are presented for three materials; a soft polyvinylchloride (PVC), a stiffer PVC, and a two-layer material consisting of a thick layer of soft PVC covered by a thin layer of neoprene. copyright 1988 Academic Press, Inc