Researchers Developed the Shark Paint to save Million Tonnes of Fuel Annually
23 May 2010 | Green Technology | 1 Comment
Always inspired by nature, researchers have found a new way to improve the efficiency of wind turbines, airplanes and Ships. They developed a new paint system, a shark-line skin, which could be applied to wind turbines, airplanes and ships, to reduce flow resistance. Yvonne Wilke, Volkmar Stenzel and Manfred Peschka of the Fraunhofer Institute, the leading organization for applied research in Europe, were inspired by real shark skin, which allows these creatures to reach impressive speeds in water.
Researchers at Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in Germany, said that the paint system could cut carbon emissions by reducing fuel consumption. They also explained that using nanoparticles, the new paint system can withstand mechanical loads, ultraviolet radiation and temperature changes. This type of paint should be applied using a stencil, in order to simulate shark skin structure. This paint lasts for 5 years ant then it must be removed and reapplied. German researchers have estimated that the new paint could save 4.5 million tons of fuel/year if applied to every airplane and ship in the world.
Tags: airplanes efficiency, paint system, paint system could cut carbon emissions, reduce flow resistance, shark skin paint, shark skin structure, shark-line skin, Ships efficiency, wind turbines efficiency
Great Post!