Constructal Theory Introduction to the Inverse of Biomimicry

[Ice Czar]

I wanted to introduce some resources to a profound concept with far reaching implications



Constructal Theory: Introduction to the Inverse of Biomimicry

A new theory, and possibly a new law of physics, Constructal theory can be understood as the inverse of biomimicry. Instead of looking to nature or biology to guide design, constructal theory starts from the understanding of the simple constructal law and extrapolates out a series of structures or designs for that situation. Amazingly, this new law of physics has been shown to describe the evolution of architecture found in nature. Let that sink in. A theory from the field of thermodynamics describes why a leaf looks like a leaf…why a river looks like a river…and much more.

Constructal theory not only enables scientists to better understand why Nature looks the way it does, but may give us insight into how we can shape our technology for a sustainable future. This Treehugger exclusive series will help our readers understand the exciting new discovery, and why it matters. To begin- The Constructal Law:

“For a flow system to persist in time (to survive) it must evolve in such a way that it provides easier and easier access to the currents that flow through it”. -Adrian Bejan

"Breaking the traditional boundaries between biology, physics, geology, and social sciences it describes how flow systems change through time. Biological organisms are flow systems. River basins are flow systems. Trees are a flow system. New York City is a flow system. Constructal theory says that for any of these flow systems to persist, to sustain, or survive, they must be structured (architecturally designed) in such a way that the things within that system increasingly get to where they need to go."

Constructal Theory: Sustainability
Constructal Theory: The Science
Constructal Theory: The Applications
Biomimicry.org
Biomimicry: Nature's Alternative to Genetically Engineered Foods
Constructal theory - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Constructal Theory Web Portal


Related concept
Hunting The Hidden Dimension PBS NOVA One Hour Program on the work of Benoit Mandelbrot, Fractals and their relationship to nature, which ties in very well with Constructal theory at certain points.
Watching this may provide a better context to then review Constructal theory

[raincrow]

Hi Ice Czar,

"Breaking the traditional boundaries between biology, physics, geology, and social sciences it describes how flow systems change through time. Biological organisms are flow systems. River basins are flow systems. Trees are a flow system. New York City is a flow system. Constructal theory says that for any of these flow systems to persist, to sustain, or survive, they must be structured (architecturally designed) in such a way that the things within that system increasingly get to where they need to go."

OK, wind blows-fire burns-water flows and dirt is dirt. I saw all that in "The Fifth Element". Why does this need to be explained beyond evolution and the fact that anything flowing, which is everything I guess, takes the easiest path it can find? I know I do.

[Ice Czar]

because most mechanical engineers don't think like mother nature? :p

the folks up at the Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute employ Subterranean Heating and Cooling Systems in their High Altitude Greenhouses, highly function design, but possibly also a tradeoff of materials and labor available to optimal heat transfer and air flow. Point is being aware of constructural theory especially as an environmental engineer is very helpful.

SHCS Solar Heated Greenhouse
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p ... 8E98ABA0FD

The optimal solution is a natural system that alters itself, when attempting to mimic optimal solutions with static man made ones, a more in depth appreciation is helpful.

[janahn]

amazing....however it is worth saying....what you are refering to has been previously described in "Permaculture, a Designers Manual" by Bill Mollison.
Also "A Pattern Understanding" by various Authors. Both books are over 25 years old.

What is even better is the actual construction today, tomorrow of such clever devices/entities and their undoubted potential which to date has been barely realised. So if this is all new to you good. I hope you enjoy the future.

every single event may be bought back to an atomic process/reaction.

[Ice Czar]

once you wade into the flurry of the links in the first post
what becomes apparent is that "constructural theory" while an age old observational premise
has crossed the threshold into science as a quantifiable mathematical theorem.

Adrian Bejan MIT Video Lecture
Frontiers of the Second Law (of Thermodynamics)

In this MIT video lecture, Adrian Bejan shows how the constructal law "covers every configuration in physics, from animate, to inanimate, to us, the societal." He demonstrates how his law predicts the tree-shaped flow of all rivers, animal locomotion and human settlement distribution. With the constructal law "thermodynamics becomes a science of systems with configuration."

http://www.constructal.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructal_theory
Adrian Bejan

Bejan's research areas cover: entropy generation minimization, exergy analysis, condensation, convection in porous media, transition to turbulence, etc.

observational note
there seems to be a thread of reasoning in here that goes something like this:

on the one hand its the doing, the actual process and feedback of a sustainable system that must be done in order to understand it intuitively. Down this track is the "if it works, it works" reasoning, leading to strange things like Biodynamics 501

on the other track and one I personally think more "general practitioners" need to pay attention to is the profound influence the visionary scientists have had on permaculture, specifically Howard Odum, but in more detail the explicit study and development of quantifiable symbiotic relationships within biogeochemistry, hydrogeology, bacterial and mycorrhizal studies. Nutrient flows, thermodynamics, exergy, general systems theory, extreme feedback events, ect ect ect

The hard qualifiable and quantifiable sciences are an integral part to explaining the observed phenomena of sustainable practices. More importantly it is the hard ammunition needed to stop fossil fuel driven agriculture. Being conversant in it beyond the feel good holistic crowd is rather important in the next stage of permaculture's growth.

Examples of sustainable practices are laudable, however the ability to specifically account for variables within systems is a prerequisite of worldwide adoption. The science is getting done, IMO as the cheerleaders we have to have at least a passing familiarity with the playbook.

Its not necessary to know that tannins play an integral role the nitrogen released in pine litter
but a more than passing familiarity with the nitrogen cycle would be good.

Constructural Theory falls into the second class, one may not need to "employ" it, but its good to know where it is and what its called

"Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves,
or we know where we can find information upon it." (Samuel Johnson)

.

[janahn]

whilst your reference to inverse biomimickry appears to be described by yourself as a theory, in this forum most people are concerned about science, that is the knowledge of all things constant. If construction theory is science or theory, considering that it is really old news, until someone makes it economically viable, it is irrelevant to humanity. and that i can assure you is no theory, but science.

leo m

[Ice Czar]

first if your "concerned" with science you should at least be conversant with the terminology
especially the difference between theory in its scientific context (theory of gravity)
and its colloquial context (theory as a hunch)

Some scientific explanations are so well established that no new evidence is likely to alter them. The explanation becomes a scientific theory. In everyday language a theory means a hunch or speculation. Not so in science. In science, the word theory refers to a comprehensive explanation of an important feature of nature supported by facts gathered over time. Theories also allow scientists to make predictions about as yet unobserved phenomena, 5

secondly science has had far too many paradigm shifts to be considered
"the knowledge of all things constant"


third your postulate "considering that it is really old news"
is misleading and demonstratively false. While the patterns of nature have been observed and deduced by mankind for far more than 25 years, the strict quantifiability of design on flows and that an underlying mathematical relationship exists from the macro to the micro, across geology, biology, social behavior and beyond is a profound insight.

“[Thermodynamics] is the only physical theory of universal content which I am
convinced, that within the framework of applicability of its basic concepts will never
be overthrown.” -Albert Einstein

that a new perspective of the fundamental laws that govern energy in all its forms has been proposed is stunning

Scientific thought is too often dominated by the reductionist point of view - I suppose it is the nature of the beast. In order to become established, modern scientists must spend a good portion of their lives studying some increasingly small sub-section of the natural world. Indeed, picking apart every little detail can lead to important, world changing, discoveries. But, increasingly we need to start putting the pieces back together. There have been tentative steps towards understanding these connections, and often the little steps have had tremendous impact. From Einstein's theories of general relativity and electromagnetism that enabled us to tap the energy of the atom, to Darwin's theory of evolution, the cornerstone of modern biology, we have reaped the rewards from putting pieces together. These scientists did not focus their studies on increasingly myopic topics, but instead expanded their ideas and fields in order to see the patterns in nature. Instead of being reductionists, they accepted a more holistic view while maintaining their scientific integrity, and may very well be called 'constructionists'. The theories they espoused challenged our world view, and changed our lives. Constructal Theory or CT (rather aptly named) is one theory of the same ilk.

fourth "until someone makes it economically viable"
it is being applied today from deducing the optimal solution of heat exchangers to the optimal pedestrian traffic flow in airports
it has the potential to influence society and engineering as profoundly as Bernoulli's principle
(a fitting analogy, I wonder if folks said it was "old news" when he pointed out that flows speed up when constricted? :p )

Constructal Theory: The Science

One of the hallmarks of CT's power is looking to see where it can displace an 'empirical model'. An empirical model is based only on data and is used to describe, not predict a system. An empirical model consists of a mathematical function (or equation) that captures the trend of the data. One of the problems with an empirical model is that they are notoriously poor at predicting events that have never happened before. Often the whole model must be thrown out if one element in the system has dramatically changed. Constructal threory's power on the other hand is that it explains why a system looks the way it does. This allows anyone with that understanding to predict with better accuracy, and predict the results of unprecedented events.

in a nutshell the difference between a casual observation and a "working" law of physics

considering that a parallel definition of permaculture could be
"to recreate the optimal environments supporting mankind
that nature occasionally creates by chance"
any insight into optimal flows of energy, water, air, nutrients and logistics is rather pertinent.

[janahn]

good to see a nice meaty debate ice csar.

the logic of nature may be reduced to a series of atomic/molecular infuences and reactions. the logic of nature covers the universe we think.
the logic of nature is constant. science is the knowledge of all things constant. one constant aspect of being human is our inability to foresee the consequences of our actions. Nothing is random or by chance. we only describe things this way because we cannot measure them.

the use of natural forces and biomimickry by mankind has been around for many thousands of years. even since life evolved, by all lifeforms if you consider it fully.

infinite examples are observable if one takes the time to observe.

perhaps the most notable and influencial one is electricity.

flow speeds up when constricted. of course, that is how some people used water to erode hillsides to create terraces.

water reeds are being used to purify water.

i have developed a natural water harvesting system on 100 acres that mimicks the flow of water from the mountains to the delta. this is the foundation for a food fuel and fibre system that will capture 5 times the protein compared to its former land use of mono grazing.

the list is endless. humans have the capacity to observe and create. computers are not very good at such things.

we know know why vines twist anticlock wise over 90% in both hemisperes. good to know, perhaps somebody will make use of such knowledge.
only if it is commercially viable.

what seperates Permaculture apart from the other sciences is that is based on "total system design" that mimics natural ecosystems. more profound to me that the twist of a vine.

Leo