Riblet Processing — A Technological Innovation for Aircraft Leading Toward Achieving Carbon Neutrality

highlight

The information on this content is as of June 2023.

Riblets are artificial microstructures that resemble shark skin. By applying riblets to aircraft fuselages, turbine blades of wind turbines, gas turbines, and jet engines, and other applications, it is expected to improve energy efficiency, lower costs, and reduce CO₂ emissions.
Nikon contributes to realizing a sustainable society by utilizing its proprietary laser-processing technology to apply riblets to a wide variety of products.

Sustainable Technology Inspired by Shark Skin

The surface of a shark's skin is covered with microscopic scales invisible to the naked eye. It is believed that the shape and arrangement of these scales in a riblet-like pattern reduces the effect of turbulence, allowing sharks to swim with great speed and efficiency.
Riblet processing mimics the surface structure of such skin by creating a series of microscopic grooves on the surface of a material to reduce frictional resistance when it moves through water or air. Research into this technology began in the late 1970s and has been incorporated into products such as swimwear for athletes. The development of such innovative technologies from ideas inspired by the evolution of the natural world is known as biomimetics.

Expanding Future Possibilities for Riblet Processing

As sustainability is one of the most important social issues today, the use of riblet processing is being explored among a variety of business sectors requiring energy efficiency. In addition to areas that are already utilizing this technology such as aircraft, race cars, and wind turbines, it has expanded to applications including gas turbines, propeller-driven aircraft, drones, pumps, household appliances, and other diverse products. Nikon works with external companies that are involved with such products to provide a full range of services, from estimating the effects, to experiments verifying the effects on clients' products, to mass-production processing.

Demonstration Experiments with ANA Green Jet Featuring Special Livery

The ANA (All Nippon Airways) Group has been pursuing ESG management that considers the environment, society, and governance, to realize a sustainable society and to enhance corporate value. The "ANA Future Promise" was established in June 2021, to develop initiatives for promoting the familiarity of ESG to customers. As part of these initiatives, the operation of two "ANA Green Jet" with Nikon's unique riblet films attached, began on October 5th, 2022. The riblet films are installed near the wing root area and upper fuselage surface where air currents are strong, to verify their durability and other technical features for facilitating practical application. If riblet films can be applied to all of ANA's 300 aircraft, it is estimated that it would improve fuel efficiency by 2%, consequently reducing jet fuel consumption by the equivalent of approximately 260 25m swimming pools (worth 8 billion Japanese yen in monetary terms) and cut CO₂ emissions by 300,000 tons annually.

■Expected effects if riblet films are installed on all 300 ANA aircraft

【Calculation conditions】Assumed values based on various conditions such as analytical reduction effect of 6.17% x 80% processing of fuselage surface x 90% flight time at cruising altitude, etc. when applied to all aircraft in the current fleet. (Nikon's calculated values)

Corporate Leaders Speak About "Inter-Industry, Business-to-Business Collaboration" to Achieve a Sustainable Future

Nikon's Revolutionary Riblet Film Solution
Supports Carbon Neutrality Aims for ANA Green Jet

Social Contribution as a Company Through ESG Management

Shibata: The promotion of ESG Management was raised in the ANA Group's 2023 to 2025 fiscal year Medium-Term Management Plan, and within it, it's clear that environmental issues have high importance to us in the airline industry. First, we should use all the methods and ideas available for controlling CO₂ emissions. We also plan to actively use Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and Negative Emissions Technologies (CO₂ removal technologies that capture, absorb, store, and immobilize CO₂). We also need innovations to make these technologies more effective for aircraft, so this riblet film is a very attractive new technology.
I've been a fan of Nikon's cameras since I was young, and now that I've come across this riblet film, I'm even more impressed with Nikon's high quality and technology in other areas as well. I am very much looking forward to its success.
Umatate: Nikon is originally a machine manufacturer, focusing on products and services with added value. Because of the nature of our business, our response to energy and environmental issues has been focused on making improvements within our own business activities. However, to respond to the growing importance of these issues amid society's rapidly changing needs, we are attempting to solve social issues by taking advantage of the light-utilizing and precision technologies we have developed over the years. Riblet processing is a very obvious example, but there are many other areas where we can deliver great value, such as by creating heartwarming feelings through our Imaging Products Business, helping people maintain their health through our healthcare business, and providing solutions to energy and environmental issues through our electronics business, including our precision equipment business. We continue to discuss as a company about how to provide even more value in various areas.
Shibata: Don't you feel as if you are getting away from your everyday life, and become excited whenever you board an airplane? As I mentioned earlier, I'm a big fan of Nikon cameras, and just touching one makes me feel excited. Nikon products bring this sort of feeling to its users. I hope that Nikon will continue to create such exciting products. I look forward to it.

Photography: Akira Fukazawa

• *Excluding top image and image of riblet film