The secret of not freezing of Antarctic penguins

Penguins still function normally in the cold - 50 degrees Celsius of Antarctica without worrying about freezing thanks to some superior waterproof properties.

Study how to help penguins not freeze

Researcher Pirouz Kavehpour, a professor of engineering and aviation engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles, USA, first noticed penguin feathers when watching a documentary.

"I noticed penguins operating in cold waters and living in very low temperature conditions but without any tape on their feathers," Discovery News quoted Kavehpour, who just published the research results. at the annual meeting of the Hydrodynamics Board of the American Physical Society in Boston on November 22.

The penguin's feathers are strong waterproof.(Photo: Christopher Michel / Wkimedia Commons).

Kavehpour, expert penguin Judy St. Leger and other researchers use scanned electron microscopy to analyze penguin feathers donated by San Diego SeaWorld Park.

The scientists discovered that there were small holes in the feathers of the feathers that kept the air, so that the hair surface did not absorb water. They also realized that penguins applied to the oils of oil secreted from a gland near the base of the tail, helping to enhance water resistance.

When water comes into contact with the surface of the hair, tiny droplets of water can roll down or be cleaned by penguins. Drops of water on feathers are also spherical that slows the formation of ice. The heat will be difficult to get rid of water droplets due to the exposed surface of the air.

Research results have many applications in aircraft design industry. Future aircraft may be covered with pitting water and lubricating oil to prevent ice formation. Aircraft manufacturers now use chemicals to break ice, but the process is costly, time-consuming and error-prone.

"It's funny that a bird that can't fly can help airplanes fly more safely in the future , " Kavehpour said.