Popular Science
Researchers at MIT and elsewhere have found that a textured surface, designed like a shark riblet, can improve the towed sonar arrays (TSAs) used by ships and submarines, reports Andrew Paul for Popular Science. “Utilizing computational modeling, researchers tested various riblet shapes and patterns interacting with simulated water environments,” explains Paul. “From calm currents to the more commonly unpredictable flows seen in oceans, the team observed how smooth, triangular, trapezoidal, and scalloped riblets might affect fluid dynamics and acoustics.”