Deicing Airplane Wings the Poison Dart Frog Way

Close your eyes for a second and picture  your favorite animal.  Why is that animal your favorite?  Is it a memory attached to that animal? How about its color, its abilities, its unusual quirks?

Do you realize that scientists observe animals to get new ideas concerning technological and scientific  innovations.   Men saw birds flying and they wanted to fly.  They looked at their anatomy and skeletal structure in order to replicate it. 

Now people can fly but they face new challenges.  So rather than looking at birds, the focus has turned towards frogs. 

 It is common for ice to gather on the wings of an airplane if it is too cold and there is too much moisture in the atmosphere.   The water that gathers and freezes on the wings can change the shape of the wings and effect the airplane's flying capabilities.  

No doubt many of us have found ourselves sitting in an airport waiting for better weather so planes can fly safely.   Many times these delays are made long so there will be enough time to spray down parts of the airplane with anti-freeze.

Arizona State University professor  Konrad Rykaczewski  decided to tackle the problem of deicing the wings of planes in a faster and more efficient way.

 A word you should know before continuing

Superhydrophobic 

repels water  so much that water drops roll off(or bead) instead of staying on the surface.   This is what happens to water when it hits a Rain-X coated windshield.

Photo by George Grall - National Geographic

Rykaczewski's inspiration was the poison dart frog.  He realized that airplane wings could have porous superhydrophobic material on their tops and bottoms.  The anti-freeze will be stored in the porous areas and when water begins to freeze on the surface the anti-freeze is released.  

This is modeled after the skin of the poison dart frog, which holds its poison in glands until it feels threatened.  At this point the toxins are released to protect the frog. 

Much research is yet to be done on this new innovation before it is used commercially on airplanes.  However, recent tests show that this process delays frost time 10x's longer than current practices in deicing. 

Please note that this video moves very quickly.  I suggest stopping it at points so you can get the whole idea

When I read this research,  I couldn't help but smile at the fact that scientists were looking at frogs to get ideas about deicing airplane wings.

God is so good.  He provided the frog with exactly what it needed to survive.  At the same time God lets us discover his creativity on our own.  This report helps all of us remember that man can only manufacture what God has already created. 

By the way, if you haven't guessed, my favorite animal is the frog.   

Resources: Popular Science, Nature World News, CBS News, Wiley Online Library- Advanced Materials Interfaces Journal , National Transportation Safety Board- report