Herringbone riblet surface structures reduce shock-induced flow separation.

Researchers at the University of Manchester, led by Professor Shan Zhong, have found that herringbone riblets – inspired by the wing surface structures of birds, could provide improvements to the design of scramjet inlet ducts.

These bio-inspired micro-scale surface patterns were applied to a double-ramp model and tested at Mach 5 in the HSST wind tunnel facility. It was shown for the first time that such patterns are capable of suppressing shock-induced flow separation signifying their potential use in controlling shockwave-boundary layer interaction on high-speed vehicles. See full journal article here.