Nature is full of wonders that can inspire us to solve technological challenges. One of these wonders is the skin of the shark: at first glance, it appears smooth, but closer inspection reveals tiny, specially shaped scales known as placoid scales. This structure provides the shark with a hydrodynamic advantage, which could now also help humans protect the climate.
In water, the fine grooves between the shark's scales reduce drag and prevent the formation of turbulent vortices that slow it down. Consequently, the shark conserves energy and can swim faster with less effort. Humans exploited similar effects when wearing LZR Racer swimsuits, which caused a sensation at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. The sharkskin-like structure of these suits led to new world records.
Now, Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa Technik, and BASF are utilising this principle of natural efficiency and applying it to aircraft. Using riblets of approximately 50 micrometres in size, a grooved structure is created that decreases aerodynamic drag and thereby reduces fuel consumption. Lower fuel consumption not only means reduced costs, but above all, fewer CO₂ emissions.
Initial tests demonstrate that the sharkskin coating, named "AeroSHARK", can lower an aircraft's drag by up to 10 per cent. This could lead to a significant reduction in fuel consumption and emissions. According to Austrian Airlines, applying this to four Boeing 777 aircraft could save approximately 2,650 tonnes of fuel and over 8,300 tonnes of CO₂, which corresponds to roughly 46 flights from Vienna to New York.
This example convincingly demonstrates how nature can serve as a model for sustainable technologies to minimise environmental impact.
