Researchers Develop Shark-Inspired One-Way Flow Pipes

University of Washington team creates flexible, flapless pipes mimicking shark intestines to enhance unidirectional fluid flow.

University of Washington researchers have designed flexible pipes with helical interiors inspired by shark intestines.
The innovative pipes promote unidirectional fluid flow without the need for traditional flap-type valves.
Initial 3D-printed prototypes made from rigid materials showed strong flow asymmetry, surpassing the performance of Tesla valves.
Flexible prototypes made from soft polymers performed seven times better than previously measured Tesla valves.
Potential applications for this technology include engineering pipelines and medical microfluidic devices.