Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
h a l f b a k e r y
Magical moments of mediocrity.

idea: add, search, annotate, link, view, overview, recent, by name, random

meta: news, help, about, links, report a problem

account: browse anonymously, or get an account and write.

user:
pass:
register,


       

Termite Mound Air Cooling Heat Sink

Use insects to design air-cooled engine blocks.
 
(+2, -2)
  [vote for,
against]

Place an iron piece of an engine block, minus the cooling channels, standing upright in the African savannah. Surround it with wood or whatever African termites eat. Heat the engine block and add forms to determine the general shape of the finished product.

The termites will build a mound around the basic engine block with numerous channels and chambers for cooling their nest. Once the nest has built up to a proper size, remove it from the ground a cast it in alluminum, thus making a naturally designed heat sink.

discontinuuity, Aug 12 2005


Please log in.
If you're not logged in, you can see what this page looks like, but you will not be able to add anything.



Annotation:







       In nature the termites create the heat and came up with a way to remove that heat. The source of heat for a termite mound is internal. I doubt a termite mound would work when used to cool and external heat source. Cool idea though.
Antegrity, Aug 12 2005
  

       Exactly what I thought: cool idea, but not practical. It might work for large radial engines since termites already make roughly conical mounds.
discontinuuity, Aug 12 2005
  

       Perhaps an aardvark tongue would help things if air cooling proves to be inferior to liquid...oops, never mind.
moPuddin, Aug 13 2005
  


 

back: main index

business  computer  culture  fashion  food  halfbakery  home  other  product  public  science  sport  vehicle