Hochschule Mittweida Laser Institute: Laser-structured sharkskin surfaces
Laser structuring based on the model of sharkskin: Riblets created on propeller surfaces using ultrashort pulse lasers reduce flow losses and increase efficiency by 3.41% - an approach for functionalized surfaces in shipbuilding.
Under the keyword "laser bionics", the Laser Institute at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences is pursuing an interdisciplinary research approach in which functional principles are copied from nature and transferred to technical problems. One example of this is the flow-optimized microstructure of shark skin. The microscale grooves on the scales, also known as riblets, ensure energy-efficient locomotion of the shark in the water.
Sharkskin-like microstructure on surface by laser
As part of the EU-funded Stellar project, such a sharkskin-like microstructure was applied to the surface of a ship propeller model using an ultrashort pulse laser source. At the Schiffbautechnische Versuchsanstalt in Vienna, it was demonstrated in drag channel tests that the efficiency of this propeller increased by 3.41% at the operating point. This means that this technology will become increasingly important, particularly for shipbuilding and other fluidic applications. The Mittweida University Laser Institute will be exhibiting at SurfaceTechnology Germany on stand C08 in hall 1.