Designing on the Wing
In the late 1980s, Japan’s high-speed Shinkansen trains faced a major engineering obstacle that threatened their continued expansion: noise pollution. As the trains traveled through narrow mountain tunnels at speeds exceeding 150 miles per hour, they compressed the air ahead of them, creating a high-pressure wave. Upon exiting the tunnel, this compressed air expanded rapidly, producing a deafening sound known as a "tunnel boom" that could be heard over a mile away. The source of the problem was the train’s bullet-shaped nose, which pushed a wall of air forward rather than slicing through it cleanly.
Eiji Nakatsu, the train’s chief engineer and an avid birdwatcher, looked to the natural world for a solution to this mechanical dilemma. He focused on the kingfisher, a predatory bird that dives from the air into water to catch fish. Nakatsu reasoned that if a bird could transition smoothly between two mediums of drastically different densities with barely a splash, a train could do the same when transitioning from the open air into a compressed tunnel. Water and air, though differing in density, behave similarly under fluid dynamic principles.
By redesigning the train's nose to mimic the long, wedge-shaped beak of the kingfisher, Nakatsu’s team succeeded in eliminating the tunnel boom entirely. ________
Which choice provides the most logical and effective conclusion to the passage by highlighting the multiple positive outcomes of the train's new design?
- AOther birds, such as owls and penguins, have also inspired engineers working on aerodynamic projects in aviation.
- BThis elegant solution eliminated the tunnel boom, it demonstrated the immense potential of looking to nature for engineering inspiration.
- CBy observing the kingfisher's beak, the noise problem was finally resolved while also saving energy.
- Ultimately, this application of biomimicry not only quieted the Shinkansen trains but also improved their energy efficiency by fifteen percent.Cevap