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Scientists have made a fake tree that can generate electricity

Scientists have made a fake tree that can generate electricity
Scientists have made a fake tree that can generate electricity Scientists have made a fake tree that can generate electricity

Scientists have built a “tree” that generates power when wind blows through its artificial leaves.

While the prototype device doesn’t look much like a leafy green plant at the moment, researchers at Iowa State University say it mimics the branches and leaves of a cottonwood tree and generates electricity when the artificial leaves sway in the wind.

They believe devices like these may one day be able to charge household appliances without the need for large wind turbines.

However Michael McCloskey, who led the design of the device, said the concept would not replace wind turbines, but added the technology could be part of a niche market for machines that are small, aesthetically appealing and, more importantly, can turn wind into electricity.

McCloskey said: “The possible advantages here are aesthetics and its smaller scale, which may allow off-grid energy harvesting.

Researchers Curtis Mosher, left, Eric Henderson, middle, and Michael McCloskey, right (Christopher Gannon/Iowa State University)

“We set out to answer the question of whether you can get useful amounts of electrical power out of something that looks like a plant. The answer is ‘possibly’, but the idea will require further development.”

Their “tree” consists of a metallic trellis, which contains a dozen plastic flaps shaped like cottonwood leaves.

The leaves contain specialised plastic strips that release electrical charge when bent by moving air. McCloskey says tapping energy from these leaves would increase their functionality.

The concept takes inspiration from biomimetics – where inventors use artificial means to mimic natural processes.

The goal of biomimetics is to create products that are well-adapted to life on Earth over a long period of time. Research in this field has inspired new approaches in other areas of study such as computer science, manufacturing and nanotechnology.

The biomimetic tree modelled on cottonwood leaves (Christopher Gannon/Iowa State University)

Researchers say they chose to mimic cottonwood leaves because their flattened leaf stalks allow leaf blades to oscillate in a regular pattern, making it possible to optimise energy generation – a process known as piezoelectric effects.

Fellow researcher Curtis Mosher said the prototype can be worked on to build a much more convincing artificial tree with tens of thousands of leaves, each producing electricity derived from wind power.

Mosher said: “It’s definitely doable, but the trick is accomplishing it without compromising efficiency. More work is necessary, but there are paths available.”

The research is published in the journal PLOS One.