Nano Vent-Skin of Micro-Wind Turbines
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto 
on 05.28.08
Some think big when it comes to wind turbines; designer Agustin Otegui thinks very small, at the nano scale, with his idea for Nano Vent-Skin, the ultimate green wall.
"Using nano-manufacturing with bioengineered organisms as a production method, NVS merges different kinds of micro organisms that work together to absorb and transform natural energy from the environment. What comes out of this merging of living organisms is a skin that transforms two of the most abundant sources of green energy on earth: Sunlight and Wind. There is another advantage of using living organisms: the absorption of CO2 from the air."
The outer skin of the structure absorbs sunlight through an organic photovoltaic skin and transfers it to the nano-fibers inside the nano-wires which then is sent to storage units at the end of each panel.
Each turbine on the panel generates energy by chemical reactions on each end where it makes contact with the structure. Polarized organisms are responsible for this process on every turbine’s turn.
The inner skin of each turbine works as a filter absorbing CO2 from the environment as wind passes through it.
The fact of using nano-bioengineering and nano-manufacturing as means of production is to achieve an efficient zero emission material which uses the right kind and amount of material where needed.
These micro organisms have not been genetically altered; they work as a trained colony where each member has a specific task in this symbiotic process. For example, an ant or a bee colony, where the queen knows what has to be done and distributes the tasks between the members.
Imagine NVS as the human skin. When we suffer a cut, our brain sends signals and resources to this specific region to get it restored as soon as possible.
NVS works in the same way. Every panel has a sensor on each corner with a material reservoir. When one of the turbines has a failure or breaks, a signal is sent through the nano-wires to the central system and building material (microorganisms) is sent through the central tube in order to regenerate this area with a self assembly process."
view from interior of building clad in Nano Vent-skin
Detail of exterior. More information and bigger pictures at Agustin Otegui's ::Nano Vent-Skin
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This sounds fascinating! I would love to hear more about this stuff. How much energy is created or should I say re-used using this technology, how much does it cost and what kind of organisms are being used?
Brilliant idea!
Yeah, this is great. Why not just plan on putting miniature cold fusion reactors on each wingtip while we're at it.
Apparently this is only an idea. Nothing seems for certain in regards to knowledge of bio-organisms that can actually maintain a material of this kind, much less their ability to transmit the electricity. What type of chemical rxns?
If much of this was true or real, it would have universities and professors named as sources. A designer doesn't happen upon such knowledge through the magic of his 3D software.
This is competition for my invention.
I've designed a Heatricity™ device that differentially absorbs ambient heat and uses the Peltier effect to generate electricity. It uses the temperature difference of the cold box and the ambient air. It is like a reverse radiator, but as it runs, the box gets colder offsetting the effects of global warming.
Although the initial prototype is producing only small amounts of current, I am hopeful that it will scale.
So I'm not sure I understand how your Heatricity device could work. You take in ambient heat, do electrical work to cool some box, and then what? Where does the waste heat (and entropy) get dumped? What is the cold reservoir that gets you the temperature gradient you are using to make electricity? You can't stick a room-temperature device in a room and have it create its own temperature gradient without a power supply, and you can't extract energy from a temperature gradient with efficiency greater than a carnot engine.
how long till production of one can be acheived?
how long till production of one can be acheived?
Has anyone considered cost for this material? It will be a long time coming before this becomes financially practical. Still, I applaud the efforts! This may lead to other improved, cost-effective energy solutions...
j.blit - do some more reasearch. What you're trying to do is impossible by the most basic laws of thermodynamics, and on top of that, power generation via thermoelectrics is the Seebeck effect, not the Peltier effect.
Who cares if it's real?
It's "green" and that's what's hot right now!
Irregardless if it creates more carbon emissions to produce it than it saves, and it's only a theory, report it as a reality and watch people jump and shout!!
anodes.
From an architectural perspective the skin idea opens up form possibilities. Since energy is produced, perhaps that energy could be used to create non-traditional architural structure.
To people with negative comment
When someone comes up with an idea that "could" or "would" make things better for us all then that should be recognised and applauded. Without new ideas and thinking outside the square we would still be getting out of our caves and killing wild animals for food. Questioning should be encouraged and hopefully dealt with by the inventor in a constructive manner. Keep it positive, wake up and encourage our visionaries. I for one think this is a fantastic vision for future energy.
I'd hate to be the window cleaner...
Sorry, but this is simply another red herring.
The closer to a building you get, the more stagnant the air becomes. Also, turbines are more efficient with increased size.
Photovoltaics are fine, so why go bio-photovoltaic - sure its very trendy, but the area of absorbed sunlight will be vanishingly small once they are mounted on these sparse turbines instead of a flat plate.
In trying to marry solar and wind, as well as trying to be hyper-trendy - this concepts delivers only a headache for people like me who have to be 'negative' and peer review these concepts.
There needs to be a system of peer review before these artilces go from ill-informed designer to media storm in a teacup.
Harrrumpphh!