Ice on power lines can wreak havoc, leaving people without heat and electricity for weeks. At airports, planes can face endless delays while they wait to be iced with toxic chemical solvents.
       Now, however, Canadian researchers have found a solution to their winter icing problem from an unexpected source: gentoo penguins.
        In a study published this week, scientists at McGill University in Montreal have unveiled a wire mesh structure that can be wrapped around power lines, the side of a boat or even an airplane and prevent ice from sticking without the use of chemicals. surface.
       Scientists have taken inspiration from the wings of gentoo penguins, which swim in the icy waters near Antarctica, which allows them to stay ice-free even when outside temperatures are well below freezing.
       ”Animals … interact with nature in a very Zen-like way,” Ann Kitzig, the study’s lead researcher, said in an interview. “It could be something to watch and replicate.”
        Just as climate change is making winter storms more intense, so are ice storms. Snow and ice disrupted daily life in Texas last year, shutting down the power grid, leaving millions without heat, food and water for days and killing hundreds.
        Scientists, city officials and industry leaders have long been working to ensure that ice storms do not disrupt winter transport. They have packages to de-ice wires, wind turbines, and aircraft wings, or they rely on chemical solvents to quickly remove ice.
        But de-icing experts say these fixes leave a lot to be desired. The shelf life of packaging materials is short. The use of chemicals is time consuming and harmful to the environment.
        Kitziger, whose research focuses on using nature to solve complex human problems, has spent years trying to find better ways to manage ice. At first, she thought that the lotus leaf might be a candidate because of its natural drainage and self-cleaning ability. But scientists realized that it wouldn’t work in heavy rain conditions, she said.
        After that, Kitzger and her team visited the zoo in Montreal, where gentoo penguins live. They were intrigued by penguin feathers and studied the design together.
        They found that feathers naturally block ice. Michael Wood, researcher on the project with Kitzger, said the feathers’ hierarchical arrangement allows them to naturally wick away water, and their natural serrated surfaces reduce ice sticking.
        The researchers replicated this design using laser technology to create a woven wire mesh. They then tested the mesh’s adhesion to ice in a wind tunnel and found it resisted icing 95 percent better than a standard stainless steel surface. Chemical solvents are also not required, they added.
       The mesh can also be attached to aircraft wings, Kitziger said, but issues with federal air safety regulations will make such design changes difficult to implement any time soon.
       “The most intriguing part of this anti-icing solution is that it’s the wire mesh that makes it durable,” said Kevin Golovin, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Toronto.
       Other solutions, such as ice-resistant rubber or lotus-leaf-inspired surfaces, are not sustainable.
       “They work very well in the lab,” said Golovin, who was not involved in the study, “and broadcast poorly outside.”