May 1, 2008 -- A new "skin" that changes shape at the push of a button could reduce the drag forces on an object in motion from 20 to 40 percent. When applied to ships or airplanes, the active coating could make them faster and more fuel efficient, saving millions of dollars each year. "The portion of airline direct operating costs attributable to fuel has increased from some 15 percent to 35 percent, heading to 50 percent-plus," said Dennis Bushnell, chief scientist at the NASA Langley Research Center, who was not involved in the research. "Aircraft drag reduction is becoming, again, a serious research issue," he added. As air or water flows over an object, it creates tiny pockets of turbulence that slow the object down. Even the flattest surfaces, the creation of which is a traditional engineering goal, suffer spontaneous turbulence. In recent years, designers have roughed things up, adding tiny, immobile riblets to skins. The riblets break apart the random formation of turbulent pockets and create specific, controlled areas of turbulence that engineers can use to their advantage. Electric Car Turns Up the Speed |
advertisement
Put Discovery News on Your Site!Related News Feeds
Discovery News Widget
Download the widget to your site, then choose your favorite news feeds. It's easy! 
Discovery News Video
Our reporters get out and about with scientists in the field ... and the occasional animal or two. 
RSS Feeds
Get all Discovery News top stories in text or video. Or choose from eight subject areas. 
Discovery News Podcasts
Stay on top of the latest Discovery News in text and video, including Friday News Feedbag and top breakthroughs. 
|
-
our sites
-
video
mobile
-
shop
-
stay connected
-
corporate
