Learning from Nature: Bio-Inspired Designs and Strategies for Efficient On-Earth and Off-Earth Ventilation Systems

Efficient ventilation systems are of paramount importance for maintaining optimal air quality in indoor and enclosed environments, both on Earth and in space. Such environments include buildings, space habitats, international space station crew quarters, tunnels, underground mines and other structures. However, conventional ventilation systems encounter various challenges, including uneven air distribution, energy inefficiency, noise, and limited adaptability to fluctuating environmental conditions. Concurrently, a multitude of organisms in nature have demonstrated the capacity to construct structures that can facilitate efficient air exchange and heat regulation. Illustrative examples of such structures include ant nests, termite mounds and prairie dog burrows. The present study explores, analyses and summarizes the mechanisms, structures and strategies found in nature that can inspire the design of efficient and effective ventilation systems. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the practical implications of the aforementioned designs. To this end, it reviews the progress of research into bio-inspired ventilation, focusing on the following three areas: air regulation, component optimization and environmentally adaptive strategies. A bibliometric analysis and research trend is presented to illustrate the key developments in this field over the past 25 years. The potential of integrating the bio-inspired strategies into ventilation systems, with a particular emphasis on off-Earth habitats and underground mines, is discussed. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the development of bio-inspired ventilation systems, thereby establishing the foundation for the creation of innovative and efficient design solutions.