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posted by martyb on Friday April 12 2019, @01:33AM   Printer-friendly
from the ship-sliding-away♩♪♫ dept.

Phys.org:

ARES ["Air-retaining Surfaces"] studies novel ship coatings, by means of which an air layer is permanently retained under water, which considerably reduces frictional resistance of surfaces. At the same time, release of toxic substances from ship paints and biofilms (fouling) and corrosion is prevented by the air envelope between the ship and the water. Coordinator Thomas Schimmel, who works at the Institute of Applied Physics (APH), the Institute of Nanotechnology (INT), and the Material Research Center for Energy Systems (MZE) of KIT[*], and his group develop air-retaining surfaces under water based on the salvinia effect.

The salvinia effect studied by physicist Professor Thomas Schimmel of KIT and botanist Professor Wilhelm Barthlott of Bonn University in close collaboration with fluid mechanics expert Professor Alfred Lederer of Rostock University enables certain plants, such as the aquatic fern Salvinia molesta, to breathe under water. For this purpose, the aquatic fern is covered with special hairs that resemble small whisks and are characterized by a special chemical heterogeneity: while the individual hairs are water-repellent, each single hair has a water-attracting tip that adheres to water and permanently stabilizes the retained air layer.

[*] KIT: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.

The project reports the team has demonstrated a 20% reduction in friction between ships and water, an efficiency gain with large implications for global shipping.


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  • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Friday April 12 2019, @01:38PM

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Friday April 12 2019, @01:38PM (#828581) Journal

    I've cavitated a few condoms. Technology isn't up to supercavitating condoms yet.

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