AeroSHARK “Sharkskin” – BASF bionic film!
(© Swiss International Air Lines – Photographer: Reto Hoffmann)
The first Boeing 777 equipped with AeroSHARK "shark skin" bionic film has started flying
- Surface technology jointly developed by BASF and Lufthansa Technik
- Expected to save approximately 1% in fuel and carbon emissions
- Retrofitted airliners are now beginning to demonstrate their energy-saving potential in daily operations
(© Swiss International Air Lines – Photographer: Reto Hoffmann)
The first Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft equipped with AeroSHARK surface technology jointly developed by BASF and Lufthansa Technik and operated by Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS, hereinafter referred to as “SWISS”) will be launched in 2022 It officially started in mid-October.
About 950 square meters of “Riblet” film is affixed to the aircraft’s fuselage and engine air intake cover, which imitates the efficient flow characteristics of sharks to reduce drag.
Flow simulations have determined that the aircraft has an energy saving potential of just over 1%.
Due to its special fine “riblets” surface structure, AeroSHARK film can slightly reduce the friction resistance of the engine shell by 1% based on relevant calculations and flow simulations.
As a result, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are reduced by the same amount.
Taking SWISS’s Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft as an example, it saves about 400 tons of fuel and more than 1,200 tons of carbon dioxide every year.
Both airlines plan to have all of their Boeing 777-300ER and 777F aircraft equipped with AeroSHARK film, which will make them the first passenger and cargo airlines in the world to use this technology to optimize their entire fleet.
Quote source:
https://www.basf.com/tw/zh/media/news-releases/asia-pacific/2022/10/p-22-385
https://www.basf.com/fi/en/media/news-releases/2022/12/p-22-433