Renseignements généraux

Nº de série

S/O

Nº de partie

1

Nombre total de parties

2

Ou

shark skin coating

Brevets

S/O

Description générale

metal; possibly synthetic

Dimensions

Remarque : Cette information reflète la taille générale pour l’entreposage et ne représente pas nécessairement les véritables dimensions de l’objet.

Longueur

15,1 cm

Largeur

8,0 cm

Hauteur

S/O

Épaisseur

S/O

Poids

S/O

Diamètre

S/O

Volume

S/O

Lexique

Groupe

Énergie-électrique

Catégorie

Divers

Sous-catégorie

S/O

Fabricant

Ou

Fraunhofer

Pays

Allemagne

État/province

Inconnu

Ville

Brême

Contexte

Pays

Inconnu

État/province

Inconnu

Période

New/never used.

Canada

While this technology has no direct connection with Canada, one can certainly imagine that airliners or ships covered with this coating could come to Canada. In any event, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum team working on the Green Skies Ahead exhibition project thought that such a technology would be of interest to visitors. The Fraunhofer Institute was kind enough to send us the sample under discussion. It is very likely that nothing comparable to this shark skin coating exists in other collections in Canada. [Ref. 1]

Fonction

To reduce resistance or drag. When applied through a special stencil, this shark skin coating / paint, inspired by the scaly skin of sharks, reduces the resistance or drag an airplane or ship has to overcome as it goes through air or water. Reducing the drag reduces the fuel consumption, which reduces the fuel costs of the operator (airline or shipping line) and the amount of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere. This coating might also be used to reduce the drag of the blades of wind turbines, thus improving their efficiency - and the amount of electricity produced.

Technique

Increasing the efficiency of present and future means of transportation is an ever present concern for both makers and operators. Different approaches are being considered, and few stones are left unturned. German researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials recently developed a so-called shark skin coating / paint which, if applied with a special stencil, promises to reduce the resistance / drag generated by airliners and large ships. Such a reduction would decrease fuel consumption, and the amount of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere. It has also been suggested that this same coating could reduce the resistance / drag generated by the blades of wind turbines, thus improving their efficiency - and the amount of electricity produced. Increasing the efficiency of present and future means of transportation is an ever present concern for both makers and operators. Different approaches are being considered, and few stones are left unturned. This German-developed high tech shark skin coating, and its associated manufacturing technology, have the potential to reduce the fuel consumption of airliners and large ships by a few percentage points. This may not seem like much but given the number of airliners and large ships crisscrossing the globe, the potential fuel savings could be huge. This coating is but one example of the importance of looking at nature for solutions to technological problems. [Ref. 1]

Notes sur la région

Inconnu

Détails

Marques

None evident.

Manque

Small chip missing from one corner of sample.

Fini

Pale green slightly dimpled rectangular sample mounted on metal support; on reverse: middle area covered by slightly raised synthetic(?); ends have highly reflective white surface.

Décoration

S/O