Slimy ships could slip through water more efficiently to save energy

By Chris Stokel-Walker

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Making ships slippery like seaweed can reduce drag and save energy, a new simulation suggests.

If ships are to become more environmentally friendly, they need to cut through 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 total resistance to a vessel’s movement can come from friction between the water and the hull.

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