Photo of the Week: Changing the World One Dimple at a Time

Sandia National Laboratories engineers’ years of research confirmed that dimples—like those found on golf balls—benefit aerodynamics for various applications. Sandia’s patented software program creates a dimpled pattern for specific applications, such as a Mach 0.64 high-performance rocket nose. The Sandia team, along with a University of New Mexico graduate student, compared 3D printed rocket nose cones, one with dimples, the other without. They found that the dimpled cone flew farther and faster than the one without dimples, with a peak drag reduction of 40%. The technology could eventually provide energy savings for wind turbines, rockets, aircraft, and more.

Photo Credit: Sandian Craig Fritz