Shark Skin Denticles Research Articles

Shark Skin Denticles: From Morphological Diversity to Multi‐functional Adaptations and Applications

AbstractThe energy crisis of the 1970s sparked growing concern over minimizing fuel consumption in water, land, and air transportation. Researchers fascinated by sharks' effortless swimming abilities investigated shark skin denticles and uncovered functions beyond drag reduction, such as antifouling, protection, and bioluminescence. Over the past five decades, significant progress has been made in comprehending drag reduction and antifouling functions of denticle structures; however, the investigation of other functions remains limited. Recent discoveries of diverse denticle morphologies have ignited a keen interest in obtaining morphogroups that can aid other functional studies. This work integrates advances in antifouling, hydrodynamics, aerodynamics, bioluminescence, and protective functions to provide a holistic understanding of their diverse roles. Additionally, this work also dictates multi‐functional adaptations of denticles and contributes to the relatively less‐explored but essential aspects, such as protective functions and denticle morphogroups. By examining these functions together, this work aims to uncover potential synergies and interactions, facilitating the development of multifunctional materials inspired by shark skin denticles.

Multi-fidelity modelling of shark skin denticle flows: insights into drag generation mechanisms.

We investigate the flow over smooth (non-ribletted) shark skin denticles in an open-channel flow using direct numerical simulation (DNS) and two Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) closures. Large peaks in pressure and viscous drag are observed at the denticle crown edges, where they are exposed to high-speed fluid which penetrates between individual denticles, increasing shear and turbulence. Strong lift forces lead to a positive spanwise torque acting on individual denticles, potentially encouraging bristling if the denticles were not fixed. However, DNS predicts that denticles ultimately increase drag by 58% compared to a flat plate. Good predictions of drag distributions are obtained by RANS models, although an underestimation of turbulent kinetic energy production leads to an underprediction of drag. Nevertheless, RANS methods correctly predict trends in the drag data and the regions contributing most to viscous and pressure drag. Subsequently, RANS models are used to investigate the dependence of drag on the flow blockage ratio (boundary layer to roughness height ratio), finding that the drag increase due to denticles is halved when the blockage ratio δ/h is increased from 14 to 45. Our results provide an integrated understanding of the drag over non-ribletted denticles, enabling existing diverse drag data to be explained.

Experimental study on influence of sharkskin denticles structure on the hydrodynamic performance of airfoil

The hydrodynamics properties of sharkskin have been studied for the past few decades, demonstrating the drag-reducing effect of the sharkskin surface denticle structure. This study explores the influence of the sharkskin denticles structure on the hydrodynamic performance of airfoil and the drag reduction mechanism using time-resolved particle image velocimetry (TR-PIV) by arranging the sharkskin denticles on the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) 0012 airfoil. The change in lift and drag of the airfoil was measured by a six-dimensional force sensor. The effects of angle of attack, sharkskin denticles location, Reynolds number, and arrangement on the hydrodynamic performance of the airfoil were mainly analyzed. The results show that for the single-row sharkskin denticles structure, the closer the bionic structure is arranged to the trailing edge of the airfoil, the better the drag reduction effect is. The maximum drag reduction is up to 25.4% by arranging the bionic denticles at 0.38L of the airfoil, when Re = 1.62 × 105 (U = 0.8 m/s) and α = 0°. For the double-row sharkskin denticles structure, the staggered arrangement is less effective in reducing drag than the aligned arrangement due to the influence of form resistance. The velocity field of the turbulent boundary layer on the airfoil surface was obtained by TR-PIV. The experiment results show that the sharkskin denticles structure can change the boundary layer of the airfoil, and the static flow area formed at the tail can reduce the disturbance of the airfoil by the turbulent flow.

Shark skin biomimetic surface modification for plates: influence on free vibration response

Denticle microstructures in shark skin have intrigued researchers since they can be prospective for various marine applications due to their inherent properties which help in reducing drag as well as do not allow barnacles to form on its surface. However, any such alterations to create surface rivulets will invariably lead to changes in mass and stiffness, and thereby natural frequencies. Subsequently, the dynamic response will also be influenced as these hydrodynamic phenomena are strongly dependent on the natural frequencies. Therefore, in this work, an investigation of the effect of shark skin type biomimetic surface modifications on the free vibration response is investigated. The free vibration response of plates with shark skin is computed first using a high-fidelity numerical simulation in a commercial finite element package ABAQUS and then compared against a simplified semi-analytical model proposed herein. Results from both these methods agreed quite well. It is observed that shark skin denticles significantly influence the natural frequency without altering its mode shapes. It appears that adding shark skin like dermal denticles on the surface of a bare plate as an appendage helps in reducing the natural frequencies in each mode. The study also reveals that the reduction in the spacing between denticles reduces natural frequency even further. Therefore, the effect of these wettability altercations on free vibration response should be known apriori for efficient design.

Drag Reduction Using Biomimetic Sharkskin Denticles

This paper explores the use of sharkskin in improving the aerodynamic performance of aerofoils. A biomimetic analysis of the sharkskin denticles was conducted and the denticles were incorporated on the surface of a 2-Dimensional (2D) NACA0012 aerofoil. The aerodynamic performance including the drag reduction rate, lift enhancement rate, and Lift to Drag (L/D) enhancement rate for sharkskin denticles were calculated at different locations along the chord line of the aerofoil and at different Angles of Attack (AOAs) through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Two different denticle orientations were tested. Conditional results indicate that the denticle reduces drag by 4.3% and attains an L/D enhancement ratio of 3.6%.

Algorithmic-driven design of shark denticle bioinspired structures for superior aerodynamic properties

All engineering systems that move through fluids can benefit from a reduction in opposing forces, or drag. As a result, there is a significant focus on finding new ways to improve the lift-to-drag ratios of systems that move through fluids. Nature has proven to be an extremely beneficial source of inspiration to overcome current technical endeavors. Shark skin, with its low-drag riblet structure, is a prime example of an evolutionary design that has inspired new implementations of drag reducing technologies. Previously, it has been shown that denticles have drag reducing properties when applied to airfoils and other surfaces moving through fluids. Researchers have been able to mimic the structure of shark skin, but minimal work has been done in terms of optimizing the design of the denticles due to the large number of parameters involved. In this work, we use a combination of computational fluid dynamics simulations and optimization methods to optimize the size and shape of shark skin denticles in order to decrease drag. Results show that by changing the size, shape, and orientation of the denticles, the boundary layer can be altered, and thereby reduce drag. This research demonstrates that denticles play a similar role as vortex generators in energizing the boundary layer to decrease drag. These mechanisms, along with the fundamental knowledge gained through the study of these drag reducing structures can be applied to a vast number of fields including aeronautical, oceanic, and automotive engineering.

Sharkskin-Inspired Magnetoactive Reconfigurable Acoustic Metamaterials.

Most of the existing acoustic metamaterials rely on architected structures with fixed configurations, and thus, their properties cannot be modulated once the structures are fabricated. Emerging active acoustic metamaterials highlight a promising opportunity to on-demand switch property states; however, they typically require tethered loads, such as mechanical compression or pneumatic actuation. Using untethered physical stimuli to actively switch property states of acoustic metamaterials remains largely unexplored. Here, inspired by the sharkskin denticles, we present a class of active acoustic metamaterials whose configurations can be on-demand switched via untethered magnetic fields, thus enabling active switching of acoustic transmission, wave guiding, logic operation, and reciprocity. The key mechanism relies on magnetically deformable Mie resonator pillar (MRP) arrays that can be tuned between vertical and bent states corresponding to the acoustic forbidding and conducting, respectively. The MRPs are made of a magnetoactive elastomer and feature wavy air channels to enable an artificial Mie resonance within a designed frequency regime. The Mie resonance induces an acoustic bandgap, which is closed when pillars are selectively bent by a sufficiently large magnetic field. These magnetoactive MRPs are further harnessed to design stimuli-controlled reconfigurable acoustic switches, logic gates, and diodes. Capable of creating the first generation of untethered-stimuli-induced active acoustic metadevices, the present paradigm may find broad engineering applications, ranging from noise control and audio modulation to sonic camouflage.

Inhibition of biofilm formation by rough shark skin-patterned surfaces

In this study, we investigate the microscale structure of shark skin denticles at abdomen (A) and fin (F) locations, analyze the roughness and wetting properties related to their microstructures, and evaluate the effect of the surface properties on early bacterial attachment and biofilm formation. Microstructural analysis by scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy confirmed the length (A: 165–180 μm vs. F: 145–165 μm), width (A: 86–100 μm vs. F: 64–70 μm), height (A: 10.5–13.5 μm vs. F: 6.2–8.8 μm), and density (A: 110–130 denticles/mm2vs. F: 80–130 denticles/mm2) of the denticles. The results showed that the roughness and hydrophobicity properties were affected with slight differences in the microscale architecture. The denticles with a larger width, higher ridge, and denser overlap provided a rougher and more hydrophobic surface. The microscale structure not only affected surface properties but also the biological attachment process. The microscale topography of shark skin slightly promoted bacterial attachment at an early stage, but prevented bacteria from developing biofilms. This systematic investigation provides insights into the effects of the surface topography of shark skin on its anti-fouling mechanism, which will enable the future development of various products related to human activity, such as healthcare products, underwater devices and applications, and water treatment applications.

Biomimetic Design Inspired Sharkskin Denticles for Growth Suppression of Biofilm

Biomimetic Design Inspired Sharkskin Denticles for Growth Suppression of Biofilm

Manufacturing of Biomimetic Silicone Rubber Films for Experimental Fluid Mechanics: 3D Printed Shark Skin Molds

The skin is at the interface of living organisms and their environment, and has evolved interesting structural properties usually over the course of millions of years, providing clues for the design of manmade biomimetic surfaces with favorable fluid mechanics properties. Here, we describe steps to produce silicone rubber films based on microscopy data from shark skin denticles, from data acquisition and manufacturing to attachment to an airfoil for experimental fluid dynamics in large towing tanks. This method is relatively low-cost, may be generalized to other types of patterned micro-structured surfaces, and the manufacturing process may be reproduced by anyone equipped with a 3D printer.

Biomimetic Riblets Inspired by Sharkskin Denticles: Digitizing, Modeling and Flow Simulation

While sharkskin surface roughness in terms of denticle morphology has been hypothesized but remains yet controversial to be capable of achieving turbulent flow control and drag reduction, sharkskin-inspired “riblets” have been reported to be an effective biomimetic design. Here we address an integrated study of biomimetic riblets inspired by sharkskin denticles by combining 3D digitizing and modeling of “fresh” denticles and computational fluid dynamic modeling of turbulent flows on a rough surface with staggered denticles and hound-tooth-patterned grooves. Realistic microstructures of denticles in five shark species of Galapagos, great white, whitetip reef, blacktip reef, and hammerhead sharks were first measured and digitized in three fold: (1) 2D imaging of lubricated sharkskin in a wet state by means of a “nano-suit” technique with a Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM); (2) 3D structures of sharkskin denticles with a micro-focus X-ray CT; and (3) single denticles of the five shark species in a 3D manner with 3D-CAD. The denticles at mid-body location in the five species were observed to have a structure of five non-uniform-ridges (herein termed “non-uniform grooves”) with Angles Of Inclination (AOI) ranging over 20°–32°. Hydrodynamics associated with the unique five-ridge denticles were then investigated through modeling turbulent flow past a denticle-staggered skin surface. We further constructed a biomimetic riblet model inspired by the non-uniform grooves and investigated the hydrodynamic effects of height-to-spacing ratios of mid-ridge and side-ridges. Our results indicate that the morphological non-uniformity in sharkskin denticles likely plays a critical role in passively controlling local turbulent flow and point to the potential of denticle-inspired biomimetic riblets for turbulent-flow control in aquatic vehicles as well as other fluid machinery.

Biomimetic Design Inspired Sharkskin Denticles and Modeling of Diffuser for Fluid Control

While sharkskin surface roughness has been hypothesized but remains yet controversial to be capable of achieving turbulent flow control and drag reduction, sharkskin-inspired “riblets” have been reported to be an effective biomimetic design (BMD). Here we address an integrated study of biomimetic riblets inspired by sharkskin denticles by 3D digitizing. Diffuser vanes with BMD sructures were fabricated using the precision cutting and BMD diffusers were assembled. Diffuser’s fluid control was evaluated to confirm the effect of the BMD on fluid control. Our results indicate that the morphological feature in sharkskin denticles likely play a critical role in passively controlling local turbulent flow and points to the potential of denticle-inspired biomimetic riblets for turbulent-flow control in aquatic vehicles as well as other fluid machinery.

The Study of Drag Reduction on Ships Inspired by Simplified Shark Skin Imitation.

The skin of a fast swimming shark reveals riblet structures that help reduce the shark's skin friction drag, enhancing its efficiency and speed while moving in the water. Inspired by the structure of the shark skin denticles, our team has carried out a study as an effort in improving the hydrodynamic design of marine vessels through hull design modification which was inspired by this riblet structure of shark skin denticle. Our study covers on macroscaled design modification. This is an attempt to propose an alternative for a better economical and practical modification to obtain a more optimum cruising characteristics for marine vessels. The models used for this study are constructed using computer-aided design (CAD) software, and computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations are then carried out to predict the effectiveness of the hydrodynamic effects of the biomimetic shark skins on those models. Interestingly, the numerical calculated results obtained show that the presence of biomimetic shark skin implemented on the vessels give about 3.75% reduction of drag coefficient as well as reducing up to 3.89% in drag force experienced by the vessels. Theoretically, as force drag can be reduced, it can lead to a more efficient vessel with a better cruising speed. This will give better impact to shipping or marine industries around the world. However, it can be suggested that an experimental procedure is best to be conducted to verify the numerical result that has been obtained for further improvement on this research.

An Application of the Shark Skin Denticle Geometry for Windbreak Fence Design and Fabrication

Windbreak fences in open and urban areas can be used to effectively reduce the wind velocity. In this paper we examine how the geometrical shape of the windbreak fence can optimally mitigate wind velocity. We propose an approach for windbreak fence design based on a bionic parametric model of the shark skin denticle geometry, which improves the reduction of the wind velocity around and behind the windbreak fences. The generative model was used to estimate improvements by variations in the parameters of the fence panel's geometrical shape, inspired by shark skin denticles. The results of the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis indicates that the fence surface inspired by shark skin performs much better than both flat and corrugated surfaces. Taking into account the complex geometry of the surface inspired by shark skin denticles, we propose a fabrication process using an expanded polystyrene foam (EPS) material, created using an industrial robot arm with a hot-wire tool. Creating EPS moulds for the shark skin denticle panels allows for a richer variety material to be used in the final design, leading both to higher efficiency and a more attractive design.

Direct numerical simulation of sharkskin denticles in turbulent channel flow

The hydrodynamic function of sharkskin has been under investigation for the past 30 years. Current literature conflicts on whether sharkskin is able to reduce skin friction similar to riblets. To contribute insights toward reconciling these conflicting views, direct numerical simulations are carried out to obtain detailed flow fields around realistic denticles. A sharp interface immersed boundary method is employed to simulate two arrangements of actual sharkskin denticles (from Isurus oxyrinchus) in a turbulent boundary layer at Reτ ≈ 180. For comparison, turbulent flow over drag-reducing scalloped riblets is also simulated with similar flow conditions and with the same numerical method. Although the denticles resemble riblets, both sharkskin arrangements increase total drag by 44%-50%, while the riblets reduce drag by 5%. Analysis of the simulated flow fields shows that the turbulent flow around denticles is highly three-dimensional and separated, with 25% of the total drag being form drag. The complex three-dimensional shape of the denticles gives rise to a mean flow dominated by strong secondary flows in sharp contrast with the mean flow generated by riblets, which is largely two-dimensional. The so resulting three-dimensionality of sharkskin flows leads to an increase in the magnitude of the turbulent statistics near the denticles, which further contributes to increasing the total drag. The simulations also show that, at least for the simulated arrangements, sharkskin, in sharp contrast with drag-reducing riblets, is unable to isolate high shear stress near denticle ridges causing a significant portion of the denticle surface to be exposed to high mean shear.

Hydrodynamic function of biomimetic shark skin: effect of denticle pattern and spacing

The structure of shark skin has been the subject of numerous studies and recently biomimetic shark skin has been fabricated with rigid denticles (scales) on a flexible substrate. This artificial skin can bend and generate thrust when attached to a mechanical controller. The ability to control the manufacture of biomimetic shark skin facilitates manipulation of surface parameters and understanding the effects of changing denticle patterns on locomotion. In this paper we investigate the effect of changing the spacing and arrangement of denticles on the surface of biomimetic shark skin on both static and dynamic locomotor performance. We designed 3D-printed flexible membranes with different denticle patterns and spacings: (1) staggered-overlapped, (2) linear-overlapped, and (3) linear-non-overlapped, and compared these to a 3D-printed smooth-surfaced control. These 3D printed shark skin models were then tested in a flow tank with a mechanical flapping device that allowed us to either hold the models in a stationary position or move them dynamically. We swam the membranes at a frequency of 1 Hz with different heave amplitudes (from ±1 cm to ±3 cm) while measuring forces, torques, self-propelled swimming speed, and cost of transport (COT). Static tests revealed drag reduction of denticle patterns compared to a smooth control at low speeds, but increased drag at speeds above 25 cm s−1. However, during dynamic (swimming) tests, the staggered-overlapped pattern produced the fastest swimming speeds with no significant increase in the COT at lower heave values. For instance, at a heave frequency of 1 Hz and amplitude of ±1 cm, swimming speed of the staggered-overlapped pattern increased by 25.2% over the smooth control. At higher heave amplitudes, significantly faster self-propelled swimming speeds were achieved by the staggered-overlapped pattern, but with higher COT. Only the staggered-overlapped pattern provides a significant swimming performance advantage over the smooth control and the other two denticle patterns. Quantitative hydrodynamic comparisons among skin models where control over manufacture allows alteration of design parameters provides a useful experimental tool for future work on the considerable natural diversity of shark skin denticles both among species and on different body locations.

Biomimetic shark skin: design, fabrication and hydrodynamic function.

Although the functional properties of shark skin have been of considerable interest to both biologists and engineers because of the complex hydrodynamic effects of surface roughness, no study to date has successfully fabricated a flexible biomimetic shark skin that allows detailed study of hydrodynamic function. We present the first study of the design, fabrication and hydrodynamic testing of a synthetic, flexible, shark skin membrane. A three-dimensional (3D) model of shark skin denticles was constructed using micro-CT imaging of the skin of the shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus). Using 3D printing, thousands of rigid synthetic shark denticles were placed on flexible membranes in a controlled, linear-arrayed pattern. This flexible 3D printed shark skin model was then tested in water using a robotic flapping device that allowed us to either hold the models in a stationary position or move them dynamically at their self-propelled swimming speed. Compared with a smooth control model without denticles, the 3D printed shark skin showed increased swimming speed with reduced energy consumption under certain motion programs. For example, at a heave frequency of 1.5 Hz and an amplitude of ± 1 cm, swimming speed increased by 6.6% and the energy cost-of-transport was reduced by 5.9%. In addition, a leading-edge vortex with greater vorticity than the smooth control was generated by the 3D printed shark skin, which may explain the increased swimming speeds. The ability to fabricate synthetic biomimetic shark skin opens up a wide array of possible manipulations of surface roughness parameters, and the ability to examine the hydrodynamic consequences of diverse skin denticle shapes present in different shark species.

The hydrodynamic function of shark skin and two biomimetic applications

It has long been suspected that the denticles on shark skin reduce hydrodynamic drag during locomotion, and a number of man-made materials have been produced that purport to use shark-skin-like surface roughness to reduce drag during swimming. But no studies to date have tested these claims of drag reduction under dynamic and controlled conditions in which the swimming speed and hydrodynamics of shark skin and skin-like materials can be quantitatively compared with those of controls lacking surface ornamentation or with surfaces in different orientations. We use a flapping foil robotic device that allows accurate determination of the self-propelled swimming (SPS) speed of both rigid and flexible membrane-like foils made of shark skin and two biomimetic models of shark skin to measure locomotor performance. We studied the SPS speed of real shark skin, a silicone riblet material with evenly spaced ridges and a Speedo® 'shark skin-like' swimsuit fabric attached to rigid flat-plate foils and when made into flexible membrane-like foils. We found no consistent increase in swimming speed with Speedo® fabric, a 7.2% increase with riblet material, whereas shark skin membranes (but not rigid shark skin plates) showed a mean 12.3% increase in swimming speed compared with the same skin foils after removing the denticles. Deformation of the shark skin membrane is thus crucial to the drag-reducing effect of surface denticles. Digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) of the flow field surrounding moving shark skin foils shows that skin denticles promote enhanced leading-edge suction, which might have contributed to the observed increase in swimming speed. Shark skin denticles might thus enhance thrust, as well as reduce drag.