Crocodile skin, turbulence and drag.

A fascinating theory that seems to be valid, concerns the turbulence of a crocodile's head moving through the water and the dimpled surface of its skin. It may be similar to that of a golf ball moving through air.

Studies show that a smooth surfaced golf ball will travel only half as far as a dimpled skin ball. The dimpled skin reduces the turbulence and thus the drag.

Featured recently on the National Geographic show 'Ultimate Crocodile', was research by Dr. Mason Meers, chair of the biology department at Univ of Tampa.

He did a texture bump map of the crocodile's skin in the skull area and then created a simulation with a computer program designed to measure the turbulence and drag.

This concept is similar to what has been tested by Speedo in their design of the Fastsuit, though they use a texture similar to that of the Shark.

Do Pool Sharks swim faster?

Interestingly, some recent studies fail to show any reduction of drag, though Speedo says the suits account for a reduction of pressure drag of about 4% for a fast male swimmer and 3% for a female swimmer.

Swimmers still favor the suits for some events, though the effect, if any, is probably psychological.

One explanation for a failure of the effect may be that the kind of movement through water of a human body, is significantly different than that of sharks, and the textured skin may actually increase drag for humans.

At any rate, Speedo has come out with the Fastskin II and research continues.


[edit on 10-10-2007 by Badge01]

So does that mean we can now look forward to cars with dimples