Inspiration – Applications of Biomimetic Shark-Skin Surfaces
Shark-skin is covered with tiny micro-structures known as ‘dermal denticles’, which refer to tooth-like scales lined with sharp surface ridges. Studies have shown that denticles not only reduce drag, but they also increase lift. As the shark moves through water, the denticles create a low-pressure zone – a leading-edge vortex, causing a separation of flow at the skin membrane.
Our Project
Whilst there has been extensive studies done on the applications of riblet surfaces in marine vehicles, limited research is being done on the applications of such surfaces in air. As such, we hope to study the drag-reduction effects of various riblet geometries through fluid flow analysis, before focusing on an optimised geometry to work with for our prototype – a novel instrument for measuring drag across a textured surface.
Vision
Our group aims to capitalise on the drag reduction properties of shark-skin riblet surfaces, and thus improve the aerodynamic efficiencies of land transport vehicles. In the long run, significant drag reduction in land and aerial vehicles alike translates to major energy savings, reduced fuel consumption rates and superior performance. Riblet technologies have potential to be implemented in numerous other industrial applications as well.
Hypothesis
We hypothesise that when left to decelerate after being rotated at a sufficiently-high RPM, an object with a ribleted surface will take a longer time to come to a complete stop than an identical object with a smooth surface. This will be tested by conducting experiments with our prototype.