Bionics analyses phenomena in nature to derive technical solutions for the future. Especially with the fluidic creatures, animals and plants that live in the water or flying through the air, in the millions of years of biological evolution the nature had deep look into the bag of tricks of physical effects. In fluidics, it depends on smallest amounts of energy, the efficiencies must be high, the losses small and it is an absolute lightweight hip. That's also in sailing that way.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Bionic Science and Yacht Design
- Why it might be useful to look to nature for solutions to problems that may occur with sailing?
- Sharks minimize this resistance with their skin surface. How does this work?
- Other animals, such as penguins minimize resistance by their special form. What makes the penguin body so efficiently?
- Sailors constantly fighting against fowling on their boats. Dolphins have a skin that cleans itself. How does this work?
- To reduce the resistance is the one, the other is to increase the advance. What makes bird wings to efficient airfoils and what does that mean for Riggs of sailboats?
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This interview with Michael Dienst, a yachtsman and bionic scientist, explores the potential of applying bio-inspired design principles to enhance the performance and resilience of sailing yachts. It aims to demonstrate how insights from nature, particularly the efficient and adaptable designs of marine creatures, can be translated into practical applications for the future of sailing.
- Bionic principles for yacht design
- Reducing frictional resistance through bio-inspired surfaces
- The importance of resilient and adaptable designs
- The potential of self-cleaning and flow-optimized surfaces
- The efficiency of bird wings and their implications for sail rig design
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- The interview begins by highlighting the potential of bionics to derive technical solutions from nature, especially in the field of fluidics. Dienst emphasizes the need for efficient, lightweight, and resilient designs, all of which are inherent in nature’s evolution.
- The discussion then turns to the shark's skin, a marvel of biological engineering that minimizes frictional resistance through its complex, structured surface. The interview highlights the potential application of artificial shark skin for yacht hulls, despite its current ban in racing.
- The conversation explores the penguin's hydrodynamic body shape, which boasts reduced form resistance. The PAVANE, a hull designed based on the penguin, achieved impressive results but faced challenges in practical implementation due to its concave surfaces.
- The self-cleaning capabilities of dolphin skin are discussed, with the interview highlighting the potential of utilizing similar principles for reducing fouling on yachts. The interview also mentions the success of silicone surfaces in reducing algae and barnacle growth.
- The interview concludes by examining the efficient airfoils of bird wings, drawing a parallel to sail rig design. Dienst emphasizes the potential for optimization based on Curry’s wind tunnel studies of Albatross wings, citing the emergence of plane rigs in the America's Cup as a testament to this principle.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The interview focuses on the intersection of bio-inspired design, fluid dynamics, and sailing. Key terms include bionics, resilience, frictional resistance, self-cleaning surfaces, shark skin, penguin body shape, dolphin skin, and bird wing design. It also explores the concept of “freak phase” in the development of novel technologies, highlighting the need for overcoming conservative practices to adopt new solutions.
- Citation du texte
- Dipl.-Ing. Michael Dienst (Auteur), 2016, Some Thoughts about the Future of Sailing, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/314634
