Oxford University Physicists: Bacteria-Powered Windfarms, Smartphones Possible, Spinning Rotors Possible

Physicists from Oxford University revealed that windfarms and other manmade micro machines could be powered by bacteria. The physicists showed how the natural movement of bacteria could be harnessed to assemble and power microscopic windfarms, as well as other micro machines such as smartphone components.

Windfarms powered by an army of bacteria could engine tiny man-made devices that are self-assembled and self-powered as reported by Oxford University scientists. They have used computer simulations to prove that their dream of harnessing the chaotic swarming effect of bacteria is entirely plausible, Science Mag reported.

Biologically driven windfarms are believed to be possible as bacteria can be organized to turn cylindrical rotors and provide a steady power source. The scientists created a simulation of a lattice of 64 symmetric micro rotors like miniature wind turbines, then immersed them in a fluid filled with bacteria. The bacteria then organized itself to spin the rotors, a simple structural organization reminiscent of a wind farm, Tech Radar reported.

Tyler Shendruk who co-authored a paper describing the results from Oxford University's Department of Physics, said that many of society's energy challenges are on the gigawatt scale, but some are downright microscopic.

Shendruk also said that one potential way to generate tiny amounts of power for micro machines might be to harvest it directly from biological systems such as bacteria suspensions because dense bacterial suspensions are the quintessential example of active fluids that flow spontaneously. While swimming bacteria are capable of swarming and driving disorganized living flows, they are normally too disordered to extract any useful power from.

Windfarms are not the only micro machines that can be powered by harnessed bacteria. However, microscopic windfarms are useful to power other tiny machines which can bring huge human benefit. Julia Yeomans, a senior author on the paper describing the results, said that nature is brilliant at creating tiny engines and there is enormous potential if we can understand how to exploit similar designs.