The global warming, the melting of glaciers, the impact of human beings on nature and the harm caused by them have become clearer and clearer. Governments and scientific research institutions are gradually increasing their investment in green technology. Of course, the industry is not far behind, and they have increased their investment. I hope to share a piece of this green trend. The new generation of scientists are also observing and learning nature from a new, more modest perspective to combat global warming. This NASA-published picture shows a map of the Earth's city based on data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite System. The picture shows that the brightest area on the planet is the most urbanized, but the population is not necessarily the most. Butt Connector,Lugs Insulated Female Connectors,Insulated Female Connectors,Non-Insulated Spade Terminals Wire Connector Taixing Longyi Terminals Co.,Ltd. , https://www.lycopperlugs.com
Dr. Rachel Armstrong of the London College in the United Kingdom and his colleagues are determined to “lay off†streetlights in the near future and use bacteria to illuminate the city. “Reducing carbon emissions? That’s the old topic!†Dr. Armstrong said. “Our goal is: buildings can 'eat' carbon dioxide!â€
Inspired by the depths of the ocean
In a secluded research institute at London College, a research project that sounds incredible is in full swing. The head of the project, Dr. Rachel Armstrong, is an architecture researcher who is confident that the success of this project will change the face of our city and even affect people's urban aesthetics and lifestyle to some extent. This research project aims to make our city brighter and more lively, although it sounds a little unbelievable: use bacteria to illuminate the city and let the streetlights get laid off!
A simple experiment can prove that this is not whimsical: put a dead fish in the water and let it rot, and wait until a certain time to start to emit light, and the light source is a kind of bacteria in the fish. This Gram-negative luminescent bacterium has a symbiotic relationship with certain fish. When a compound called fluorescein in this bacterium comes into contact with air or water, it reacts with oxygen and emits light. Fish can use light to find and attract food, while also providing nutrition for the bacteria. For example, the bacterium of the light eye fish is stored in a small meat bag under the eyes of the eye. It can open the mouth of the bag to attract the prey, or close the mouth of the bag to escape the attention of natural enemies.
How to use this luminescence phenomenon? Together with colleagues at the Bartlett School of Architecture, Dr. Armstrong expects to use this seemingly “low-end†approach to reduce electricity use and alleviate global warming.
Bendable display
Bacterial illumination for urban lighting
US Energy Secretary Steve Chu is an active advocate of the “Whitewashing Roofs†project. It is estimated that if the roofs of all buildings in the world are painted white to reflect sunlight, it is equivalent to reducing the carbon emissions caused by 11 years of global cars. effect. But Dr. Armstrong and her research team have other plans: urban lighting accounts for 8% of the country's total electricity consumption. If this blue-green light-emitting bacteria is used as low-cost urban lighting, it can save a lot of lighting. Electricity, greatly reducing carbon dioxide emissions from power generation.
Under the current technical conditions, the light produced by the luminescent bacteria is not enough to illuminate the city streets, but the research team believes that it can be done through technical improvement and updating the design. At the very least, the exterior walls and advertising light boxes of buildings can be illuminated with such luminescent bacteria. Dr. Armstrong said: "To deal with global warming, we don't necessarily have to invent something new. If we think about what we have, we can often solve some problems."
Not only reduce emissions, but also absorb carbon
Many types of bacteria have this luminescence function, and Dr. Armstrong's team has begun testing and screening various luminescent bacteria. And she herself has begun the next goal: not only to reduce carbon emissions, but also to fight for negative emissions! She is currently considering the use of a blue-green algae to consume carbon dioxide. Like the problem with luminescent bacteria, although there are many algae to choose from, the most difficult part is how to cultivate these bacteria or algae on the wall. Dr. Armstrong said: This process is like gardening, but the bacterial gardening technology has never been before, let's create a precedent.
Simon Parker is a microbiologist at the University of Surrey in the southwest of London. He studied and developed some bacterial gardening techniques for his personal hobby. But before working with Dr. Armstrong, he used luminescent bacteria to create some ecological art works, or some dazzling abstract art works. Parker used agar gel to culture luminescent bacteria in a Petri dish and added a percentage of saline to simulate the marine environment. Of course, Parker's fluorescent art exhibits usually last only a few days, and when the bacteria are depleted of nutrients, these works are dull. However, Parker claims that as long as the nutrients needed for the bacteria are added, the luminescence can be maintained. To apply this technology truly means adding the nutrients needed for bacteria in building materials. For this, Dr. Armstrong believes that microporous building materials such as chalk or sandstone can be applied and then infused into the micropores. , you can cultivate luminescent bacteria and carbon-absorbing algae.
Wall that can "carbon absorb"
In theory, this wall that can “carbonize†is achievable. Dr. Armstrong and her colleagues have begun experimental work to artificially simulate the formation of limestone, in which carbon dioxide in the air is absorbed. And the rock is produced in the form of solid carbon. In nature, this process spans thousands of years or even tens of thousands of years. Carbon dioxide in the air is first dissolved into rainwater, and then combined with calcium ions suspended in the air to produce calcium carbonate and land on the ground, after thousands of years of complicated chemical reactions. And the physical process gradually forms rocks.
Dr. Armstrong and colleagues hope to use nano-architecture technology to shorten the process to a few days, through a very simple technical step to achieve this: apply a thin layer of engineering grease to the wall, add ordinary salt to the grease Classes such as magnesium chloride. Magnesium chloride can react with carbon dioxide in the air to form solid magnesium carbonate, and then gradually form white carbonate crystals. Due to the huge contact area between the wall and the air, the reaction speed will be very fast, and it can form on the surface of the wall within a few days. A layer of frost-like white crystals.
Sounds simple? In fact, the experimental process is much more complicated. Researchers constantly adjust the thickness of the grease coating, test the crystal structure, test the effects of different salts other than magnesium chloride, and hope to accelerate the crystal formation process, and also try to calculate how much carbon dioxide can be absorbed per square meter of wall per hour.
Carbon turns into beautiful decoration
Dr. Armstrong likes this idea very much. In her view, the future city will be as white and crystal clear as the white world of Narnia, which was frozen by the white witch, and the carbon that is killing our planet becomes a beautiful decoration. However, the carbonate crystals formed by this coating may not meet the public aesthetic standards. Dr. Armstrong is considering to preserve the front of the building as a luminous surface, and the side and back of the building do not need illumination. "Carbon" surface. People need to scrape this layer of sediment regularly and recycle it as a building material. If combined with the use of low-carbon cement as a building material to further reduce emissions, these buildings will soon become "environmental pioneers."
Although this technique is simple and inexpensive, one potential weakness is that once the magnesium ions in the coating are depleted and the grease is gradually volatilized, the function of the coating disappears and only a new coating can be applied. Dr. Armstrong believes that this problem can be solved by developing a "prototype cell" that is free of DNA but can be replicated like a living cell. If such cells can be produced, these cells can be made to function as a grease coating, and then salts can be provided. She is currently negotiating research and development with scientists at the University of Southern Denmark who are studying biosynthesis. Professor Stein Lassen of the University's Biotechnology Center believes that this "prototype cell" with split replication will be available in a few years. “It’s estimated that it won’t be more than 10 years,†he said. “It’s too early to say that this cell can capture carbon dioxide, but I’m sure its advent will have a huge impact on environmental science.â€
Light blue future city
Although the experiment is still at a relatively early stage, Dr. Armstrong's partner, Canadian architect Philippe Beasley, is very optimistic: "For the sake of safety first, the construction industry is extremely conservative and traditional, but also very eager for technology. Innovation. We are likely to see such buildings all over the streets after seven or eight years."
Together with Dr. Armstrong and Dr. Armstrong at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, the wall illuminating and carbon-absorbing technology was presented, which attracted the attention of many business people. Bethley said: “Until now, building technology has been isolated from the sustainable movement. This concept of 'living buildings' will lead the construction industry into the mainstream of sustainable development. Bacterial and algae coatings and prototype cells It will be a turning point in the advancement of building technology and may change the perception of urban aesthetics in the 21st century."
Dr. Armstrong has been trying to turn a lifeless urban building into a system that can interact with the natural environment and call this the ultimate goal of architect work. Dr. Armstrong said: "We are trying to think of the city as an organism. So far it is only a symbolic description stage, and in the near future, the building will really live. Imagine the future city, the little light in the skyscraper. Then the main theme of the city, but the silhouette of the city reflected by the pale blue fluorescence; think again that these buildings can absorb carbon dioxide to slow down global warming. Our city will be more life-rich, today is just a metaphor, but in It will become a reality in the near future." 