Scientists engineer unsinkable metal tubes
10 days ago
- #renewable-energy
- #superhydrophobic
- #unsinkable
- Researchers at the University of Rochester’s Institute of Optics developed a process to make metal tubes unsinkable using superhydrophobic surfaces.
- The superhydrophobic surface traps a stable air bubble inside the tube, preventing waterlogging and sinking, similar to mechanisms in diving bell spiders and fire ants.
- A divider was added to the tube to maintain buoyancy even when pushed vertically into water.
- Previous designs using superhydrophobic disks had limitations in turbulent conditions, but the new tube design is resilient and maintains buoyancy even when damaged.
- Multiple tubes can be linked to create rafts for ships, buoys, and floating platforms, with potential for scaling to larger sizes.
- Superhydrophobic tube rafts can also harvest water waves to generate electricity, offering a renewable energy application.