Enhanced Fuel Efficiency by Frictional Drag Reduction of Toy Boat Coated with Superhydrophobic Additives comprising Nickel Stearate and AlNiCo Nanoparticles

Surface frictional drag developed by marine vessels utilizes a considerable percentage of fuel for propulsion. Superhydrophobic (SH) surface normally traps a layer of air at the interface and significantly reduces the surface frictional drag. Herein, the efficacy of the SH coating towards the surface drag reduction of the sailing boat is recognized by conducting a facile experiment where the bottom of the toy boat is coated with SH additives. AlNiCo nanoparticles and nickel stearate prepared by ball-milling and co-precipitation methods respectively are drop-casted layer by layer over the surface of the toy boat to impart SH. The fuel efficiency of the SH boat is improved by 51.49% substantiating the reduction in surface drag of the vessel. Further, the trapped air provides extra buoyancy force, enhancing the load-bearing capability of the SH boat by 5.77%.