TITLE:
Butterfly Wing Microstructures for Bioinspired Thermal Insulation in Energy-Efficient Buildings in West Africa
AUTHORS:
Guomin Liu, Seydou Diarrassouba, Chancellor Clever Kudakwashe Jijita, Haoqing Chen, Yongxu Chen, Yao Chen
KEYWORDS:
Butterfly Wing Microstructures, Bionic Engineering, Thermal Insulation, COMSOL Simulation, Energy-Efficient Buildings, West Africa
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Civil Engineering,
Vol.15 No.4,
December
22,
2025
ABSTRACT: This study explores the potential of butterfly wing microstructures as inspiration for thermal insulation solutions in buildings located in hot and humid climates, such as those of West Africa. The morphological features of Papilio maackii, Papilio xuthus, and Kaniska canace were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, modeled in AutoCAD, and simulated in COMSOL Multiphysics under realistic climatic boundary conditions. Thermal performance was assessed through surface temperature, heat flux, and radiosity. Among the tested designs, the Papilio xuthus-inspired panel exhibited the best performance, with the lowest peak surface temperature, reduced average heat flux, and minimized radiosity. In contrast, conventional wall panels demonstrated the highest thermal losses, while Papilio maackii and Kaniska canace-based designs showed intermediate performance. These findings demonstrate the potential of butterfly wing-inspired geometries to significantly improve thermal resistance and contribute to energy-efficient building design in tropical regions.