Butterfly Solar Thermal Power Generation Paper

Can biomimicry improve photovoltaic energy harvesting in white butterflies?

Man’s harvesting of photovoltaic energy requires the deployment of extensive arrays of solar panels. To improve both the gathering of thermal and photovoltaic energy from the sun we have examined the concept of biomimicry in white butterflies of the family Pieridae.

Are white butterflies solar photovoltaic concentrators?

White butterflies as solar photovoltaic concentrators Man's harvesting of photovoltaic energy requires the deployment of extensive arrays of solar panels. To improve both the gathering of thermal and photovoltaic energy from the sun we have examined the concept of biomimicry in white butterflies of the family Pieridae.

What is a butterfly solar concentrator?

The V-shaped design of the butterfly is therefore strikingly similar to the V-trough solar concentrator which uses mirrored side walls to focus light towards a small area of photovoltaic material 3, 26 ( Fig. 1d) thereby increasing the output power of any solar cell to which it is attached 4, 27. White butterflies as solar concentrators.

Do butterfly wings increase solar power?

Here, we show that the attachment of butterfly wings to a solar cell increases its output power by 42.3%, proving that the wings are indeed highly reflective. Importantly and relative to current concentrators, the wings improve the power to weight ratio of the overall structure 17-fold, vastly expanding their potential application.

Does a white butterfly mimic a Photovoltaic concentrator?

To improve both the gathering of thermal and photovoltaic energy from the sun we have examined the concept of biomimicry in white butterflies of the family Pieridae. We tested the hypothesis that the V-shaped posture of basking white butterflies mimics the V-trough concentrator which is designed to increase solar input to photovoltaic cells.

Can flexible composite phase change materials provide rapid roll-to-roll solar-thermal energy harvesting?

Inspired by the dynamic thermoregulation behavior of butterfly wings, here we demonstrate rapid roll-to-roll solar-thermal energy harvesting within flexible form-stable composite phase change materials.