schematic of a biofilm in turbulent boundary layer flow. by E. Murphy

Biofilm hydrodynamics

schematic of a biofilm in turbulent boundary layer flow. by E. Murphy

Biofilm hydrodynamics

Biofilm fouling is ubiquitous on ship hulls and other aquatic surfaces, such as corals and soft sediments. Biofilms increase drag on ships, reducing performance and increasing fuel use. Algal biofilms can impact ecosystem functioning as well, altering flow dynamics over coral reefs, for example. However, little is know about the effects of biofilm on boundary layer hydrodynamics. Because biofilms are compliant and have flexible protrusions from the surface (called streamers), interactions between biofilms and fluid flow are complex. I use high resolution Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) to image and quantify the flow over biofilms in a high speed flow tunnel.

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Elizabeth Murphy
Senior Benthic Ecologist

Publications

Algal biofilms, ubiquitous in aquatic systems, reduce the performance of engineered systems and alter ecosystem processes. Biofilm …

Biofilm fouling significantly impacts ship performance. Here, the impact of biofilm on boundary layer structure at a ship-relevant, low …

Biofilm fouling has a significant effect on ship performance. Here, the impact of biofilm fouling on boundary layer structure is …