Modeling Drag Reduction through Coloration of Penguins Using COMSOL

Because of the recent shift to low-energy vehicles and systems, an exploration into drag reduction and fuel efficiency is crucial. Biomimetics, the study of nature to engineer solutions to human problems, can be used to optimize watercraft performance by reducing drag. For this study, the coloration of penguins and how the counter shades affect drag reduction were studied. The thermal effects of body color were investigated in COMSOL Multiphysics. A two-dimensional penguin model was computationally analyzed at different temperatures confirming that coloration could reduce skin drag reduction underwater by up to 30% through color-based surface warming. In summary, the dark coloration on the dorsal of the penguin has a significant effect on skin reduction while swimming.