New bionic material collects water efficiently from the air
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Inspired by desert beetles, cacti, and pitcher plants, researchers at the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science (Harvard College of Engineering and Applied Science) and Wyss Institute of Bioengineering have designed a variety of organisms High-performance bionic materials that collect water from the air more efficiently. This method can not only be used to solve the problem of drought and water shortage in some areas, but also opens up new ideas for the future development of bionics. Related research results were published in the latest issue of Nature.
Some organisms can survive in arid environments because they have evolved mechanisms that can collect water from thin, moist air. For example, the Namib desert beetle has a super-hydrophilic texture and a super-waterproof groove on its wings that can draw water vapor from the wind. As the water droplets in the hydrophilic zone become more and more concentrated, these droplets fall into its mouth along the bow back of the beetle.
According to the report of the physicist's organization on the 24th, in essence, the new system was inspired by the rugged shell of desert beetles, the asymmetrical structure of cactus, and the smooth surface of Nepenthes. The new materials take advantage of the nature of these natural systems, plus the wet skimmed liquid injected porous surface technology (SLIPS) developed by the research team to collect the water in the air.
The main challenge for collecting the water in the atmosphere is how to control the size of droplets, the speed of formation, and the direction of flow. Unlike previous studies focusing on the condensing mechanism of the beetle shell, the new research was inspired by the discovery that the back shell convex part can also collect water.
Parker, the paper's first author and postdoctoral researcher, pointed out that the experiments found that the beetle's back with separate geometric shape bumps can facilitate the condensation of water droplets, and through detailed theoretical model optimization, and the asymmetry of the convex geometry with cactus thorns and almost Friction-free coating of nepenthes combined with new materials they design, can collect and transport larger amounts of water in less time than other materials. Without these parameters, the entire system will not be able to work together.
The co-author of the paper, Vice President of SEAS Kim, said: “At present, this research has taken an exciting first step. We will develop a system that can effectively collect water and guide it to the reservoir. This method can also be used on industrial heat exchangers, which can significantly improve its overall energy efficiency." (Reporter Hualing)
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