Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How shark skin-like surfaces reduce drag in water
By Gu X et al.·2026·Harbin Engineering University, China·View original on Europe PMC →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Fabrication and Drag Reduction Performance of Bionic Surfaces Featuring Staggered Shield Scale Structures.
Plain-English summary
This study looked at how shark skin can help reduce drag, which is the resistance an object faces when moving through a fluid like water or air. Researchers created a surface that mimics shark skin by using a special laser process to make tiny grooves on a material. They found that this new surface could slow down the settling of particles much better than a smooth surface, achieving a drag reduction of about 5.65%. The grooves help manage the flow of fluid near the surface, which lowers friction and makes movement easier. Overall, the results showed that this shark skin-inspired design is effective at reducing drag.
Abstract
To investigate the drag reduction mechanism of shark skin placoid scales and develop high-efficiency drag-reducing surfaces, this study designed and fabricated a biomimetic shark skin surface featuring staggered microscale groove structures. The fabrication process involved laser etching on silicon wafers to create a placoid microstructure template, followed by polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) replication to obtain biomimetic shark skin samples. Sedimentation experiments demonstrated that the biomimetic surface significantly reduced settling time compared to a smooth surface, achieving a drag reduction rate of 5.65%. Further computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were conducted to analyze the near-wall flow characteristics around the biomimetic surface. The results revealed that the drag reduction mechanism primarily stems from the effective regulation of near-wall laminar flow by the micro-groove structures: a low-velocity fluid layer formed within the grooves reduces the near-wall velocity gradient, thereby decreasing frictional drag, while stable recirculation zones develop within the grooves, contributing to momentum redistribution and reduced energy dissipation. Additionally, the staggered arrangement of the grooves promotes a smoother pressure distribution along the flow direction, mitigating pressure drag by reducing the pressure differential between windward and leeward surfaces. The experimental and simulation results showed excellent agreement (simulated drag reduction rate: 5.08%), collectively verifying the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed biomimetic placoid structure in achieving fluid drag reduction.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on Europe PMC: https://europepmc.org/article/MED/41892132