Biomimetic shark skin textile design for enhanced hydrodynamic drag reduction

Abstract

Hydrodynamic drag force is the resistance that fluid exerts against an object moving in the opposite direction. It comprises form drag, wave drag, and friction drag [1], with form drag accounting for 70–90% of the total drag and up to 90% of the energy expenditure in competitive swimming. Shark skin has a microstructure known as dermal denticles, which offers a promising solution, as their riblet-like patterns generate streamwise vortices, delay flow separation, and reduce drag by up to 10% [2]. Despite advances in sharkskin biomimicry, its applications in textiles remain limited. In particular, there is a lack of systematic investigations into denticle design and the optimization of their parameters through numerical simulation. This specific research domain has not yet been adequately explored, even though it holds strong potential to enhance drag reduction in textile applications. In this study, the applicable criteria derived from such investigations will be identified and used to fabricate prototypes, which will then be validated for performance.