Will dolphins be the next breakthrough?

Rating rule administers recognize there is a difference in drag for fixed, feathering, or folding propeller blades, but will this variable soon account for propeller material? Here’s what is being testing on a larger scale:

A new propeller created by the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering coated with a skin mimicking that of a dolphin holds the promise of significantly reducing fuel consumption and emissions in large cargo ships.

For over a century, scientists and engineers have looked at the dolphin as a model for building fast, maneuverable watercraft. After all, when you have an animal that can slip so easily through the water and leap into the air as if it doesn’t care which medium it’s in, it’s a pretty good target for imitation. – Full report