Shark skin

[Will Aldridge]

According to this article: https://www.ensight.com/shark-skin-aerodynamics-at-reno/ the benefits of the rough texture of shark skin in improving aerodynamic efficiency have been known in aerodynamic circles for quite awhile though this is the first I've heard of it and a Google search of the site didn't reveal any previous threads.

The article is about improvements made to a cassut racer, the parts about shark skin or "Riblets" as they are called is quoted below:

BST’s second area of expertise is the use of micro-structured surfaces (aka “rib lets” or “shark skin”) it has developed in-house to reduce drag. The beneficial effects of micro-structured surfaces are widely known in the aerospace industry. BST has successfully created such riblets specifically for this application. A 4% improvement in aerodynamic efficiency has been achieved with specially-designed riblets, resulting in a 1.58% increase in the top speed of the Scarlett Screamer, a significant amount in a tight race. Peter Leitl, Chief Technical Officer of BST, developed a proprietary algorithm to determine in advance the best geometry of the riblets and the appropriate areas on the aircraft to achieve maximum. This algorithm was integrated into the existing CFD simulation program and verified by various laboratory tests and real applications. BST can thus interpret – without costly and time-consuming wind tunnel testing – the benefits, the exact riblet geometry and the ideal areas for their use. This is especially useful for applications where actual tests are expensive (aerospace, wind energy, etc.) and to determine whether riblets might bring benefits over the lifetime of the system under consideration.

Looks pretty cool, i wonder how many racers are running with this tech? Probably one of the secrets they are loath to share with the competition.

 

[BBerson]

 

[Will Aldridge]

 

[delta]

 

[tspear]

 

[cheapracer]

 

[autoreply]

 

[clanon]

 

[TFF]

 

[narfi]

 

[cheapracer]

 

[Tiger Tim]

 

[Jay Kempf]

 

[BJC]

 

[cheapracer]

 

[rv6ejguy]

 

[Topaz]

 

[don january]

 

[Victor Bravo]

 

[pictsidhe]