Bart Kruidhof is student Industrial Product Design at the Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen. Bart is inspired by the growing popularity of Tiny Houses and the increasing need for sustainable, self-sufficient installations, such as lighting, that work independently of the electricity grid and respect the natural environment. For a study assignment in the third year, he immersed himself in the world of bioluminescence and biomimicry and developed an innovative self-sufficient outdoor lamp.
Coöperation with Entrance
The assignment arose from a collaboration with Entrance, a research institute that focuses on accelerating the energy transition and sustainable off-grid living (such as with Tiny Houses). Ron de Vrieze of Entrance: ‘The aim of the research is to provide an ecovillage with orientation lighting in a natural way.’
For orientation purposes, Bart has analysed existing self-sufficient lamps, such as:
- an outdoor lamp with a sensor that generates light by charging in the sun.
- a lamp that works on kinetic energy and generates electricity by means of gravity (lifting a weight)
- an indoor lamp that creates light by moving bioluminescent algae. This lamp is moved by using fixed electricity.
- a homemade algae lamp. The algae are moved to generate light. This is done with the help of an electrically powered magnet.
Bio Luminescence
Vooral de lampen op basis van bioluminescentie scoren goed in zijn haalbaarheidsanalyse. Bioluminescentie is het uitstralen van licht door organismen, een vorm van chemoluminescentie. Het komt voor bij bepaalde bacteriën, maar is ook te zien bij diepzeebewoners zoals vissen en ongewervelden, zoals inktvissen, kwallen, koralen en plankton. Op het land kunnen verschillende schimmels en insecten licht geven. Hogere organismen leven in symbiose met bacteriën, die in speciale organen van de gastheer licht produceren.
The lamps based on bioluminescence in particular score well in his feasibility analysis. Bioluminescence is the emission of light by organisms, a form of chemoluminescence. It occurs in certain bacteria, but can also be seen in deep-sea inhabitants such as fish and invertebrates, such as squid, jellyfish, corals and plankton. On land, various fungi and insects can emit light. Higher organisms live in symbiosis with bacteria, which produce light in special organs of the host.
Bart has studied these natural lighting techniques and mentions the sea sparkle (Noctiluca scintillans) as an example in his report. This is a bioluminescent dinoflagellate that emits light when moved. This phenomenon is caused by a chemical reaction between the pigment luciferin and the enzyme luciferase, which produces a blue-green glow (474-476 nm) when in contact with oxygen.
Photo: Sea sparkle, an algae that can emit light, sometimes producing spectacular effects in shallow water. Depositphotos.com.
Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of fungi and develop from fungal threads (mycelium) that grow in the ground. The lantern mushroom is a bioluminescent mushroom that produces a green glow. Incidentally, only about 100 of the more than 100,000 species of fungi that have been described show bioluminescence.
The lantern mushroom grows quickly and is only visible for a few days. To grow these mushrooms, the temperature must be kept between 18-26°C. Bart finds this an obstacle for outdoor applications: ‘The desired growth temperatures, especially in winter, pose additional challenges. You would have to apply insulation or protect the mushrooms to make the lighting work.’
Bio mimicry
In Rambouillet, France, it seems to have been possible to create outdoor light using light-emitting algae based on bioluminescence: ‘Outdoor lighting with algae in Rambouillet’
‘But there is little information to be found about this project’, says Bart. He estimates the feasibility of a bioluminescent outdoor lamp for his project to be low and chooses to design a lamp based on biomimicry. This is the science and technique of imitating biological “ideas” in nature, to invent, improve or make more sustainable human applications.
Bart eventually develops an organic mushroom, which is characterized by an organic lampshade and a slender stem. In the stem, white light shines down under the mushroom to illuminate the ground and the path. The top of the mushroom contains organic recesses. ‘This ensures that the PVC fixture is thinner at the recesses. This ensures that light is transmitted through the recesses. In this way, the path near the mushroom is well lit, nature is minimally disturbed by light pollution and the design of a mushroom is clearly visible in the dark.’
The lighting system consists of an LED module that is placed in the lampshade for an even light distribution. This module is combined with a motion sensor, so that the lamp is easy to operate. ‘The electricity is supplied by PV panels. Electronic components are concealed in the stem to maintain the aesthetics of the lamp.’
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