Ice buildup on power lines can wreak havoc, leaving people without heat and power for weeks. At airports, planes can face endless delays while they wait to be iced up with toxic chemical solvents.
       Now, however, Canadian researchers have found a solution to the winter icing problem from an unlikely source: Gentoo penguins.
       In a study published this week, scientists at McGill University in Montreal have unveiled a wire mesh structure that can wrap around power lines, the side of a boat or even an aircraft and keep ice out without the use of chemicals.
       Scientists have taken inspiration from the wings of gentoo penguins, which swim in the icy waters near Antarctica and manage to stay ice-free even when temperatures outside are well below freezing.
       ”Animals have… a very zen lifestyle with nature,” Ann Kitzig, the study’s lead researcher, said in an interview. “It could be something to watch and replicate.”
        As climate change makes winter storms more intense, ice storms are taking their toll. In Texas last year, snow and ice disrupted daily life and took out the power grid, leaving millions without heat, food and water for days and hundreds of people died.
        Scientists, city officials and industry leaders have long fought to keep ice storms from disrupting winter services. They equip power lines, wind turbines and aircraft wings with de-icing film or 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.
        Kitzig, whose research focuses on using nature to solve complex human problems, has spent years trying to find the best way to deal with ice. At first, she thought that the lotus leaf would be a candidate because it naturally sheds water and purifies itself. But scientists realized that it wouldn’t work in heavy rain conditions, she said.
        After that, Kitzig and her team went to the zoo in Montreal, where gentoo penguins live. They were intrigued by penguin feathers and worked together on the design.
        They found that feathers naturally hold back ice. According to Michael Wood, a researcher who worked on the project with Kitzig, the feathers are arranged in a hierarchical order that allows them to naturally shed water, and their natural spiky surface reduces 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 was 95 percent more effective at resisting icing than a standard stainless steel surface. Chemical solvents are also not required, they added.
       The mesh can also be attached to aircraft wings, Kitzig said, but the strict restrictions of federal air safety regulations will make such design changes difficult to implement in the short term.
       Kevin Golovin, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Toronto, said the most attractive aspect of this de-icing solution is that it is wire mesh, which makes it durable.
       Other solutions, such as ice-resistant rubber or lotus-leaf-inspired surfaces, are not sustainable.
       “They work well in the lab,” said Golovin, who was not involved in the study, “and broadcast poorly outside.”
      Stainless steel wire mesh is a type of woven wire mesh made from high quality stainless steel wire. It is known for its durability, strength and corrosion resistance properties. This type of wire mesh is used in a variety of applications including filtration, separation, protection, and reinforcement in different industries like food and beverage, chemical processing, mining, and architecture. It is available in different grades and sizes to meet specific requirements. The weave patterns used in stainless steel wire mesh are also diverse and can range from plain to complex weaves. The most common ones include plain weave, twill weave, dutch weave, and twilled dutch weave.