In the future, modern buildings can save electricity thanks to ... pine cones

Exactly because of the cone-shaped fruits. Science is studying them to optimize heat retention and retention systems.

It is not wrong to say that the situation of climate change and energy exhaustion is getting worse. One of the biggest sources of electricity use is buildings. According to the International Energy Agency, they account for 40% of total electricity worldwide.

Scientists have long had headaches on this issue. They want buildings to take advantage of natural energy to illuminate and provide heat more efficiently.

One of the biggest sources of electricity use is buildings.

In fact, many places that have windows or blinds installed can open - automatically, but they have the opposite effect of using too much electricity or batteries.

The problem is whether there is a way for the window to close - open without using electricity? Finally, science is about to have an answer based on a "far-horizon, near- sighted " observation .

It is observed on cones of pine, poisonous, fir and spruce. When the humidity of the environment changes, the cone fruit will immediately perform a natural open-close mechanism.

When the humidity of the environment changes, the cone fruit will immediately perform a natural open-close mechanism.

According to a team of researchers from Germany's top three universities, when it rains, cones will close the outer scales to protect the inner particles. When the rain ends, they open the scales to dry the seeds.

The cell walls of cones are made of lignin wood (less bulging) and cellulose (swollen). It is the cellulose fibers that expand and bend into the interior while the humidity increases. In contrast, they bend outward when the weather is dry. Correctly in that order, the cone has achieved a gentle opening and closing mechanism.

The team hopes to soon mimic this magical mechanism for high-rise buildings. The scientist Cordt Zollfrank from Munich Technical University said that its application will not only stop at windows, blinds but also in opening and closing gates, valves and many other things.

Cell fibers of conical fruit allow them to close the scales (left) or open (right) depending on moisture.

"Wherever humidity changes, we all want to move something in place to suit the conditions of the environment , " Zollfrank said.

Besides, the team wants to be able to use the main cellulose - a natural and reusable material - for new materials in buildings."Sustainable architecture is in desperate need of new materials," Zollfrank said.

Currently, Zollfrank and colleagues have successfully developed a device that consists of two layers of different materials, which can absorb moisture from the environment and automatically implement the open-close mechanism like a natural cone. .

Intelligent stadium ceiling mimics the mechanism of cone fruit.Figure a - close the vents when it rains.Figure b - open when it is dark.Picture c - opens when the sun is big.

However, one obstacle is that humans need a much larger absorption layer than the tissue of cones. So with a certain opening and closing process, if the pine fruit only needs 2 hours, the human device can take up . several years.

But scientists believe they will soon solve this problem and bring the new device introduced to high-rise buildings around the world.