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A multi-scale model for fluid transport through a bio-inspired passive valve.
Simon Gravelle1, Jacques Dumais1
1Facultad de Ingenieria y Ciencias, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Viña del Mar, Chile.
The Journal of Chemical Physics
|January 10, 2020
Summary
Inspired by desert plants, scientists simulated a microscopic water valve. This cellulose-based valve efficiently absorbs fog water while preventing evaporation, mimicking natural water collection strategies.
Area of Science:
- Biomimicry
- Materials Science
- Fluid Dynamics
Background:
- Tillandsia landbeckii, a plant from the Atacama Desert, uses cellulose trichomes to capture fog water.
- These trichomes passively regulate water transport, absorbing liquid water and preventing evaporation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the physical mechanisms behind the water valve function of Tillandsia trichomes.
- To design and simulate a biomimetic micrometric hydraulic valve.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Grand Canonical Monte Carlo and Non-Equilibrium Molecular Dynamics simulations.
- Analyzed fluid adsorption and transport through nanopores at the atomic scale.
- Scaled atomic results to micrometric scale using a lattice approach.
Main Results:
- Identified key physical parameters for passive hydraulic valve function.
- Demonstrated that differences in water vapor and liquid water transport in cellulose are crucial.
- Predicted a critical pore dimension for efficient valve operation.
Conclusions:
- The passive water valve mechanism in Tillandsia trichomes is based on differential transport properties of water phases within cellulose.
- Biomimetic designs can lead to efficient passive hydraulic valves for water management.
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