Embedded Files
Canadian researchers have created wired mesh inspired by the feathers of the Gentoo penguin. This mesh could be used to prevent ice buildup on power lines.
By Phinley G.
Have you ever been at home in the winter time and suddenly your power went out? This may have been because of ice buildup on the power lines that connect to your house. Ice buildup on power lines can be really bad. It can leave people without power for weeks. Airports have had to delay flights for many hours while waiting to be de-iced with some not so friendly chemical solvent. Surprisingly, scientists have turned to the Gentoo penguin for help with this.
Researchers from Canada used the format of the bird's wings to inspire a wire mesh design, according to The Washington Post. The penguins have feathers that repel ice, so scientists imitated the structure of the penguin's feather using wire. This created a wire mesh that could wrap around power lines, the sides of boats and around planes. This keeps them from freezing over without using chemicals. The design works because if you think about it, the Gentoo penguin lives in the South Pole where the weather is below freezing and they swim in extremely cold water all the time; yet, they don't freeze.
Anne Kietzig, lead researcher on the study, has spent years trying to find a better way to get rid of ice, not using chemicals. After a trip to the zoo, researchers found that the feathers of the bird naturally keeps ice at bay. They were arranged in a certain order so the water flowed right off them. They replicated this design by making a wire woven mesh using laser technology. They tested it in a wind tunnel to see how the mesh would react. They found out it was 95% more effective at stopping ice build up than a standard surface of stainless steel, according to the Post article.
This idea is not available yet, but the things it can do are amazing. It can prevent power outages, planes from getting stuck and boats from sinking. This would be very helpful in places like Buffalo, New York, which gets a lot of snow. In fact there was a plane only five miles away from the Buffalo airport when suddenly it plummeted down and landed in the side of a house killing 48 passengers according to Scientific American. This accident was possibly due to ice build up.
Maybe now when you're sitting at home and your power goes out, you will think of the penguin mesh that can stop this from happening.
Photo Source: WWF
By Cannon W. and Everett A.
Gentoo penguins have special feathers because they live in Antarctica. In Antarctica, there is lots of ice. The feathers protect the penguins from the ice.
Before penguins breed, they build a nest out of pebbles, sticks, foliage and compete for the safest spot and the biggest stones. When penguins are born, they are not born with the special feathers. They are born fluffy to keep them warm. When they are 2 months old, they can start leaving their nest and learn to do penguin stuff like belly sliding, but it has to be on land because there are too many dangers in the water for baby penguins.
The baby's body starts growing up like when humans go through puberty. In the learning-to-swim stage, they develop the special feathers because they need the feathers to not freeze in the water. When they are one to two, they are in the juvenile stage, and now their body is fully mature.
Gentoo penguins are the third largest species of penguins. When they are three, they are ready to breed and fully grown up and then it starts over when a new baby is born and so on. Every year, the penguins mate with the same partner. When Gentoo penguins lay eggs, they usually lay two and not one. Their main predator are seals. The penguins eat fish.
Gentoo penguins have a white stripe over their eyes. They have white bellies and black backs with long tails. The penguin is 30 inches tall and they weigh about 12 pounds.
Source: Oceanwide Expeditions
Page updated
Report abuse