Just by using the sharkskin technology, the global fleet of long-haul aircraft could save close to five million tons of kerosene per year. And we are well past proof of concept! AeroSHARK is a durable bionic film that successfully mimics the skin of sharks and optimizes the airflow thus enabling significant fuel savings.
Together with the leading global chemicals and coatings manufacturer BASF, we developed a functional biomimetic technology: a film with a barely perceptible ribbed texture of small protrusions – riblets. Sized in patches for easy and targeted application, the film has millions of these prism-shaped riblets, each one 50 micrometers high. Applied to the aircraft in a specific manner and aligned with the airflow, the riblets achieve efficiency gains, by reduced friction, similar to those of their counterparts in nature, and can also improve lift if attached on wings.
The riblet film is easy to apply, even on large commercial aircraft – up to 500 m2 on a Boeing 747-400's lower fuselage and belly fairing. It is extremely resilient, withstands large temperature shifts, pressure differentials and the ultra violet radiation on high flight levels.