Slimy ships could slip through water more efficiently to save energy

By Chris Stokel-Walker

Borrowing elements from seaweed and fish can reduce drag on ships, a new simulation suggests.

If ships are to become more environmentally friendly, they need to cut through the water more efficiently and reduce their fuel requirements. One option is to rethink the materials used to build ship’s hulls, given that about 60 to 70 per cent of the reduction of a vessel’s propulsive power comes from friction between the water and the hull.

Hyung Jin Sung of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and …