The Speculist » Biomimetics https://blog.speculist.com Live to see it. Thu, 25 Jul 2019 23:07:25 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.6.1 MIT, Aussie Boffins Produce Cheaper Hydrogen https://blog.speculist.com/energy/mit-aussie-boff.html https://blog.speculist.com/energy/mit-aussie-boff.html#comments Mon, 25 Aug 2008 10:41:43 +0000 Michael S. Sargent http://localhost/specblog/?p=1659 In last night’s Fast Forward Radio discussion of future vehicular fuel sources I tossed out a couple of bits of recent research that might make Hydrogen a bit more of an option in the intermediate future.

It seems that considerable advances have been made in the last few months in terms of generating Hydrogen from sources other than fossil fuels.

My claim of “near 100% efficiency” comes from this EETimes piece (via Instapundit and ChicagoBoyz) describing MIT research using a liquid Cobalt Phosphate catalyst to do the job.

“[W]ith our catalyst almost 100 percent of the current used for electrolysis goes into making oxygen and hydrogen.”

– Daniel Nocera, MIT Chemistry Professor.

Meanwhile, in Australia, Monash University scientists have succeeded in producing Hydrogen (and Oxygen) gas directly from sunlight and water, using a slightly charged (1.2V) Nafion (wikipedia) substrate doped with Manganese “clusters”. See this recent Gizmag piece (Artificial Photosynthesis provides clean, cheap Hydrogen) for additional details.

]]> https://blog.speculist.com/energy/mit-aussie-boff.html/feed 0 Why Invent When You Can Discover? https://blog.speculist.com/biomimetics/invent-or-disco.html https://blog.speculist.com/biomimetics/invent-or-disco.html#comments Wed, 08 Jun 2005 08:01:32 +0000 Stephen Gordon http://localhost/specblog/?p=320 A Peruvian scientist named Luis Gustavo Lira is building a database of world-wide Biomimetics research projects, past and present. Biomimetics is “the application of methods and systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering systems and modern technology.”

Apparently, nature has a lot to teach us:

Species
Application

Tokay gecko
adhesion

Lily leaf
superhydrophobic surfaces, support structures

Setcreasea
superhydrophobic surfaces, self-cleaning

Red Abalone
ceramic composite nanostructures

Pinctada
ceramic composite nanostructures

Cow bone
ceramic composite nanostructures

Cow Antler
ceramic composite nanostructures

Lotus
superhydrophobic surfaces, self-cleaning

Seed Shrimp
photonics

Sea Mouse
photonics

Morpho rhetenor
photonics

Morpho didius
photonics

Euplectella
photonics

Ophiocoma wendtii
photonics

Brazilian giant horsetail
support structures

Dutch rush
support structures

Dutchman pipe
support structures

Dung bettle
composite nanostructures, non-smooth surfaces

Pangolin squama
composite nanostructures, non-smooth surfaces

Vanessa indica
superhydrophobic surfaces, self-cleaning

Colias erate
superhydrophobic surfaces, self-cleaning

sea slug
perform colonoscopies

Cicada
aerofoils, sensor systems

Arion subfuscus
adhesion

Helix aspersa
adhesion

Hornbeam leaves
deployable structures, folding

Beech leaves
deployable structures, folding

Angler fish
deployables structures

Hummingbird hawk moth
deployables structures

Desmodium gyrans
hydraulic mechanism

Trifolium pratense
hydraulic mechanism

leontodon flower
hydraulic mechanism

mimosa pudica
hydraulic mechanism

venus fly trap
hydraulic mechanism

Arctium minus
adhesion, velcro

cockroach
walking robotics

Hedgehog spines
shock absorbers

Locust ovipositor
mini-excavator

Wasp ovipositors
mini-drills

Insect cuticle
fibrous nanocomposite

This is just a small sample.

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