Underwater biomimetic structures and surface technologies: A frontier review from natural inspiration to engineering implementation
Yongqi Zhang, Changwei Su, Zhigang Zou, Jianyong Li, Maocheng Ji, Xinzhong Song, Jianfeng Li, Jia Man
Abstract
The increasing demand for marine resources is driving rapid expansion in industries like long-distance shipping and coastal ports. Ships, central to these industries, face significant challenges such as hydrodynamic drag, noise, biofouling, and corrosion. These issues highlight the urgent need for effective solutions. Nature, through evolution, has equipped organisms with highly adapted structures and functions. Studying these biological features provides valuable inspiration for addressing the challenges ships face during navigation. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the latest advances in biomimetic structures and surface technologies, with a particular focus on their applications in underwater drag reduction, noise attenuation, anti-fouling, and corrosion resistance. The underlying mechanisms and synergistic effects of these technologies are also discussed in detail. Furthermore, this review summarizes the common challenges faced by underwater biomimetic technologies, including complex fabrication processes, insufficient durability, and limited effectiveness. Future research directions are proposed, emphasizing the adoption of multidimensional design approaches to integrate multiple biomimetic strategies and compensate for the limitations of individual methods. It is anticipated that this work will offer valuable insights and feasible references for addressing the issues of drag, noise, biofouling, and corrosion encountered by ships during maritime navigation.