MSGID: 1:317/3 64a794ea   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
    Climate-friendly air conditioning inspired by termites    
      
     Date:   
         July 6, 2023   
     Source:   
         Lund University   
     Summary:   
         The climate control used by termites in their mounds could inspire   
         tomorrow's climate-smart buildings. New research shows that future   
         buildings inspired by the termites could achieve the same effect   
         as traditional climate control, but with greater energy efficiency   
         and without its carbon dioxide footprint.   
      
      
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   The climate control used by termites in their mounds could inspire   
   tomorrow's climate-smart buildings. New research from Lund University in   
   Sweden shows that future buildings inspired by the termites could achieve   
   the same effect as traditional climate control, but with greater energy   
   efficiency and without its carbon dioxide footprint.   
      
   Termite mounds have a sophisticated ventilation system that enables air   
   circulation throughout the structure. This helps to maintain and regulate   
   temperature and humidity.   
      
   "The digitalisation of design and construction processes creates enormous   
   opportunities for how we shape architecture, and natural and biological   
   systems provide an important model for how we can best utilise these   
   possibilities," says David Andre'en, senior lecturer at the Department   
   of Architecture and Built Environment at Lund University, who wrote   
   the article.   
      
   The results, published in the journal Frontiers in Materials, show a   
   structure for buildings based on termite mounds that facilitates indoor   
   climate control.   
      
   "The study focuses on the interior of termite mounds, which consist of   
   thousands of interconnected channels, tunnels and air chambers, and how   
   these capture wind energy in order to "breathe," or exchange oxygen   
   and carbon dioxide with the surroundings. We have explored how these   
   systems work and how similar structures could be integrated in the walls   
   of buildings to drive the flow of air, heat and moisture in a new way."   
   The idea is thus to create new ways to control the airflow in buildings   
   that will be significantly more energy-efficient and climate-smart   
   than traditional air conditioning, which uses the bulk flow principle,   
   normally driven by fans.   
      
   Instead, it is possible to develop systems that are turbulent, dynamic   
   and variable.   
      
   "These can be controlled by very small equipment and require minor energy   
   provision," says David Andre'en.   
      
   In the study, the researchers demonstrated how airflows interact with   
   geometry -- the parameters in the structure that cause the flows to   
   arise and how they can be selectively regulated. These can be driven   
   without using mechanical components such as fans, valves and similar,   
   as only electronic control is required.   
      
   "This a precondition for a distributed system in which many small sensors   
   and regulating devices are placed in the climate-adaptive building   
   envelope through miniaturisation, durability/sustainability and cost   
   reduction," says David Andre'en.   
      
   This enables regulation of the building's indoor climate and to control   
   factors such as temperature and humidity without relying on large fans   
   and heating and air conditioning systems. The mechanisms are dependent   
   on being able to create complex internal geometries (on the millimetre   
   to centimetre scale), which is only possible using 3D printing. Through   
   3D printing, value can be added to the built environment to create   
   sustainable architecture that otherwise would not have been possible.   
      
   "It's fascinating how the termites' building process manages to create   
   extremely complex well-functioning "engineering masterpieces," without   
   having the centralised control or drawings to refer to that we would   
   need," concludes David Andre'en.   
      
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   provided by Lund_University. Note: Content may be edited for style   
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   Journal Reference:   
      1. David Andre'en, Rupert Soar. Termite-inspired metamaterials   
      for flow-   
         active building envelopes. Frontiers in Materials, 2023; 10 DOI:   
         10.3389/ fmats.2023.1126974   
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   Link to news story:   
   https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230706124549.htm   
      
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