Guidance From Nature: How Butterflies Are Influencing Renewable Energy (News)

in #news7 years ago

The Crimson Rose Butterfly, or Pachliopta hector, is a swallowtail butterfly native to India and Sri Lanka.This black beauty is a common sight in both the jungle and open countryside. The Rose butterfly is cold-blooded and uses the sun to help it fly. Its black wings have developed a method of absorbing energy that outstands even our latest engineering innovations, until now.

A group of scientists led by California Institute of Technology bioengineer, Radwanul Siddique, got up close and personal with the wings of this creature. They created 3D nanostructures that mimicked the structures of the actual wing. Underneath the scales of the wing, there are tiny holes which are random in size, shape, and placement covering the wings of the butterfly. These holes are less than a millionth of a meter wide and help to scatter light and absorb heat.

Siddique and team had to figure out what the most strategic configuration of the holes would be that would absorb light most efficiently. Utilizing computer models, they realized the shape didn’t matter; it was the placement of the holes that were crucial. They were able to create a similar structure using hydrogenated amorphous silicon. Thin sheets of this material contain the same types of holes found in the wings.

Solar panels that are commonly used now are positioned at a particular angle. This limits the amount of time during the day that they are actually generating power. This gets even more complicated when you live or work in a climate where the sun is not constant. Siddique’s new found technique will not only allow for the production of more power over a more significant stretch of time but could revitalize the use of thin film solar cells. These thin cells have been used mostly in watches and calculators because of the limited absorption of previous designs. Now, thanks to a butterfly from India advancements are being made that will hopefully make solar energy more accessible and plentiful for all.

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That butterfly looks positively stunning! Seeing these beautiful creatures in other parts of the world makes me want to start travelling more than I do, lol!

Awesome post, bud. :)

Yoo!
Advancement in technology am still waiting for that time when there will be expansion of bank that operate on digital currency.
By then billionaires will start to make transaction through digital currency.

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Wow, that is amazing! I love that scientists studied a butterfly to figure this out!

It is amazing @violetmed! We should all look closer at nature for inspiration.

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Nature it's amazing, it has it all figured out! It has been an inspiration and a muse for many writers and artists, now it's starting to get attention from the scientific community, which of course is great! Maybe we will soon stop abusing the planet, and treat her with kindness.

That is our hope as well @sarmizegetusa! This earth is a beautiful gift.

It is indeed <3

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I do strongly believe that nature holds the key to everything. We are all connected. Fascinating piece that really makes one think of the endless possibilities there are.

We are all one. @earthnation is striving to create abundance for all and rekindle our relationship with nature. Thank you for believing in those endless possibilities @donnaincancun.

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I had seen the butterfly even last week and never imagined such wonders about it apart from the beauty!

All things in nature hold much more wisdom than we may ever realize. Thank you for sharing your experience @bobinson.

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Thank you for sharing, I follow you with pleasure