The leaves of the trees, shrubs and plants afford an almost endless study and a constant delight. Frail, fragile things easily crumpled and torn, they are wonderful in their delicate structure and more wonderful if possible on account of the work which they perform. They are among the most beautiful things offered to our sight. Some one has well said that the beauty of the world depends as much upon leaves as upon flowers. While the prevailing color, or the body color so to speak, is green, and the general tone of the trees seen in masses is green - the most pleasant of all colors to be abidingly before the sight - this is prevented from becoming dull or somber because it comprises almost innumerable tints and shades of the self-same color, while other distinct colors are mingled with it to such an extent as to enliven the whole foliage mass. Spots of yellow, of red, of white, and of intermediate colors are dashed upon the green leaves or become the characteristic hues of entire trees, and so there are brought about an endless variety and beauty of color.

Then what a wide difference is there in the position of the leaves on the trees and their relative adjustment to each other? Sometimes they grow singly, sometimes in pairs, sometimes in whirls or clusters. Some droop, others spread horizontally, while others still are more or less erect. The leaves of some trees cling close to the branches; others are connected with the branches by stems of various lengths and so are capable of greater or less movement. The leaves of poplars and aspens have a peculiarly flattened stem, by reason of which the slightest breath of wind puts them in motion. These are some of the most obvious characteristics of the leaves, and by which they are made the source of so much of the beauty of the world in which we live.

But let us turn now from the natural leaves to our novel invention of artificial energy harvesting leaves and needles, including water based plants and purpose, they become the great workers of the world, or, if we may not speak of them as workers, a most important work is done in or by means of them, a work upon which our own life depends and that of all the living tribes around us. Every Nanoleaf is a production site for renewable energy production, captured and converted from the environment, solar radiation (light and heat), sound and wind energy, including energy generation from falling raindrops, with the help from incorporated photo- thermovoltaic and piezoelectric materials. 3.8 billion years of evolution have developed some very effective systems; one of these involves trees and plants and the way they capture the sunlight and turn it into useable energy. Humans may have designed technologies to go to the moon, to split atoms, and to send information as light pulses, but we still can't swim as fast as a shark or hear as well as a bat. Nor can we synthesize high-impact ceramics as strong as an abalone shell or weave fibres as strong as spider silk. For centuries, philosophers and biologists have reminded us that nature has a lot to teach. Now a growing number of engineers, physicists, material scientists, and architects are joining the ranks to try to figure out how animals and plants, and the ecosystems they form, can help us design industrial processes and products of all sorts. Variously called biomimicry, biomimetics, bionics, and biologically inspired design.

Our novel invention makes use of the biomimicry concept it allows us to combine form and function into one concept. This approach will not only produce cool new products, it also could eventually result in processes that are more energy efficient, reduce our carbon footprint, and help to deliver green clean electricity in aesthetic way. Green biomimicry energy harvesting systems can bring renewable energy closer to the end user, it broadens the application range of green renewable energy products, instead occupying more land we can install artificial trees on streets, along highways and railways, but also along coastal areas, islands, remote areas or places of natural beauty.

Everywhere around the world, empty places like, plains and mountains are decorated with wind turbines; no one seems to be bothered by the loss of our scenic values. No one seems to be bothered that birds get killed, that Ecosystems are damaged and that our bees lose all sense of direction, one of the reason could be the magnetic distribution of waves from wind turbines!

Therefore, in real life, there is a great demand for non intrusive solutions and securing aesthetic value. Solar Botanic's is to realize the natural representation of green energy harvesting by artificial trees in real landscapes and urban areas to create eco-friendly and sustainable energy systems that fit any environment.

The invention will describe a method of incorporating thermo - photovoltaic and piezoelectric materials into an artificial leaf design. The main goal of this approach is to mimic the simulation and visualization of natural growth and to harvest and capture renewable energies from the environment.

We talk about nano engineered materials so tiny that you only can see them under a microscope, however, these materials are very efficient, and versatile, thin-film deposition enables us to incorporate these very efficient nano engineered materials onto a flexible substrate that eventually will lead to "solar leaf like modules" called Nanoleaves (collective name for artificial leaves and needles) shaped in various leaf and needle forms. These Nanoleaves get affixed to artificial trees, shrubs or plant structures, or can be affixed to carpet matrixes, green energy carpets can installed on roofs or walls to generated electricity, give a real green ambiance, another important thing is the installation time of energy roof carpet, which would only take a couple of minutes. In addition the green energy carpets can be constructed is such a manor that these would float, therefore these floating energy carpets with a variety of Nanoleaves including kelp could easily be set out on the ocean(s) to convert wave motion, and solar radiation into clean electricity.

For Nanoleaves to be successful we not only had to find about what kind of photovoltaic and thermovoltaic materials to use, in respect to cost, their individual properties, life time and efficiency but also, how they perform in a very difference design and their behaviour with solar radiation, wind, rain and branches, although not many have paid attention to this, we studied extensively simulation processes of free leaves' light interception, internal light reflection within the canopy, refraction of light and the movement of trees and plants standing in the wind. They are designed and controlled by the spatial arrangement of flows by four types of flow primitives: uniform, sink, source and vortex. The flow exerts forces on leaves, including mechanical strain in leaves' tangential direction and stress forces in leaves' normal direction, and the leaves' movements were controlled by classical Newtonian mechanics.

Fortunately, until now, not many people know about the quantum effects that play in and around a tree and the dynamics of leaves that hang on branches, especially moving together with their mother branches. It reveals that the leaves' movements are also very difference between various kinds of leaves, it's a very difficult task to simulate them. Fortunately, both leaves' size and their movement magnitude are small relative to their mother trees. If we look into a tree in the distance, leaves' movement could be neglected. If we look near a tree, a lot of leaves, such as willow, pine's leaves, and their movements are still very small and could be neglected. This is common mistake people make, they see little or nothing, we see millions of Watt's produced, and we can collect them.

Besides cost, the most fundamental issue in assessing thermo- photovoltaic Nanoleaves is efficiency — how much of the solar radiation that falls on the artificial Nanoleaf can it convert to electricity? How much of the wind energy, rain energy and hail energy can it convert to electricity? There are many different leaves all with different properties therefore we can account for all leaves, no matter what size, however, small leaves little movement, big leaves more movement, and thus more energy' less dense canopies less solar energy capture, dense canopies more solar energy capture, thus more energy, from better understanding and designing. For example, most poplars and phoenix trees had such kind of leaves. Both of these kinds of leaves are consist of a long leafstalk and a large leaf surface, it makes leaves move easier even under gentle breeze. This is because: due to fluid or flow mechanics, the larger leaf surface area, the stronger force will be loaded on the leaf by wind; due to solid mechanics, the longer the leafstalk, the more flexible of the whole leaf structure.

Let's explain energy from wind, hail or rain; as we can now classify leaves into two kinds: moveable leaves and non-moveable leaves according their moving character. For non- moveable leaves, such as pine, fir etc., because leaf's size is small, even there exist movement; the movement is so small that it could not de detected by human. Moveable leaves' movement could be abstracted as the superposition of two kinds of rotation: leafstalk's rotation and leaf surface's rotation. The generate electricity from the movement of leaf surface and leafstalk we incorporated a Piezoelectric Connecting Element (PCE) that connects the leaf to the twig, stem or leaf stalk, this not only provides a better way of connecting it also allows us to generate energy when the leaf or stalk is moved by the wind.

During the movement of a Nanoleaf, the PCE in the leaf nerve, petiole, twig or branch is compressed and elongated. In consequence, thanks to the piezoelectric effect, electrical charges appear on the surface and are collected by the electrodes. The generated alternative electrical signal is sent to an electrical load or to an Energy Harvesting Circuit. One of the goals of the energy biomimicry invention is to utilize and demonstrate piezo electric power generation from wind using piezo electric materials and piezoelectric connecting elements. Mechanical vibrations or motions from wind or surrounding (like building, machines, human body). The piezo electric generators will be incorporated into the artificial leaf nerve (that also is carrying the leaf), petiole, twigs, and branches and in some cases we incorporate piezoelectric materials in the main stem or trunk of the artificial tree or plant, so that it will produce electrical power (in the range of μW) and which will unite with other electric currents coming from thermophotovoltaic activity, all of which can be used to feed an battery system, electrical grid or other appointed use. The compressive and tension resistances in petiole or stalk immediately initiate a reverse motion. In an ideal situation, this reverse (toward the direction of the applied force) movement would be exactly opposite in direction. Incorporation of piezoelectric materials (piezoelectric connecting element) begin generation of electricity within a tree/plant stem and petiole as a result of movement, tension and compression resistances as force applied, a piezoelectric effect converts mechanical strain into ionic polarization charges that generate a piezoelectric potential that we can collect. Loads on trees are repeatedly stretching and releasing a single Nano piezoelectric wire with a strain of 0.05-0.1% creates an oscillating output voltage of up to _50 mV, and the energy conversion efficiency of the wire can be as high as 6.8%. We even will generate energy from rain showers and convert it into electricity. Every rain drop (including hail) that is falling on our artificial leaves could scavenge between 8 and 15 milliwatts from the falling rain drops. The kinetic energy of a moving object is equal to half its mass multiplied by its speed squared: e=mv ² /2. As water droplets grow in size, both their speed and mass increase. The mass of a 5 mm raindrop is 5x5x5=125 times that of a 1 mm drop and its 'terminal ¹ speed doubles, resulting in a 'constructive energy" 500 times larger when hitting the Nanoleaf!

Were also focused on the least favorable scenario: one in which raindrops are exploited. Our energy harvesting trees have a big surface area as the canopy is either covered by leaves or needles, the surface area is used to harvest environmental energies such as solar radiation, wind, sound, a biomimicry system capable of operating in the majority of situations and locations, that's why were not only focus on harvesting solar radiation and wind energy but also from rain showers - falling raindrops - onto our leaves will be unexploited as a potential energy source.

The fact that this energy is provided by low-energy, millimeter-scale drops is a good reason for implementing piezoelectric material in the leaf stalk or petiole. Piezoelectric materials are already widely used to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy, and have lately been applied to various environmental energy scavenging scenarios: for example, in one system, a piezoelectric material is installed on windmills to recover wind energy; the Eel concept uses the deformation of a Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) membrane subjected to a tangential flow, and yet another system involves mounting a PZT (Piezoelectric Transducer) disc to a Helmholtz resonator to harvest acoustic energy. However, the majority of studies focus on the harvesting of vibration energy using piezoelectric beams subjected to pure bending. Our artificial trees are natural umbrellas; therefore it makes sense to make use of its design features, by incorporating piezoelectric material in the leaf carrier say leaf stalk or petiole that react to a multitude of forces; tension, compression, bending, shear, torsion (movement)..

We had to design a strong and reliable element that could provide us with maximum strength, no loss of leaves during a storm or rain shower, and it should be flexible enough to generated electricity from movement, plus we needed an element that we could quickly and securely attach. The Piezoelectric Connecting Elements (PCE) is very versatile and easy to install, we can insert it into the petiole/stalk to attach the nanoleaf and next we can insert the nanoleaf into the stem, twig or branch and is all weather type secured via its improved 'cable tie" connection which is still very flexible this enables the PCE to harvest and captured kinetic energy as the nanoleaf starts to move and bend due to wind or vibrate/tremble as rain drops impacts the surface.

The PCL can be mass produced, and will fit a variety of different leaf types and sizes and it is easy and quick to work with. The assembly of complete branches with full foliage can be done in minutes.

Furthermore the leaf petiole/stalk is hollow, into which we can insert the PCL; These "Un- releasable" Piezoelectric connecting elements are perfect to permanently secure the Nanoleaf to the stem, twig or branch. The PCE is made of a synthetic material in which piezoelectric material is spiralled along its length and covered by a protective layer. The outer layer is made of strong, tensile, acid and corrosion resistant and durable material, for example nylon, it can be designed as circular or flat depending on it use, although piezoelectric connecting elements are generally used as single-use devices, if a tied leaf needs to be released again, then, rather than destroying the PCE by cutting, it may be possible to release the PCE from the leaf to reuse the PCE again. Each PCE tie has a tapered tip to ensure simple and quick installation.

The PCE can be connected and secured to the petiole/leafstalk (carrying the leave), the remaining part of the PCE we insert into the opening of the twig or stem that has the receiving connecting point, and we can push the leaf until the end/final position, which will "permanently" secure it. Nanoleaves can be easily assembled by hand and remain locked until intentionally released by the finger catch. They can be used in a variety of applications

An important part of our invention involves the method of securing the leaf-shaped thermo- photovoltaic material to the main leaf nerve/vain and it its mid-ribs. In our invention petiole or stalk that what runs from the leaf tip to the end of the petiole/stalk including its mid-ribs has a function to hold and secure the Nanoleaf (the surface that is photo/thermovoltaic) to the central leaf nerve or vain

The main leaf nerve/vain including its mid-rib segments that holds the leaf and ensures stability for the leaf is designed with small protrusions onto which the photo-thermovoltaic flexible sheet with pre-designed pores can be pressed, this one way press system securely attaches the flexible solar sheet to the main leaf nerve/vain and its mid-ribs, it locks tightly and gives maximum support and leaf surface stability.

Another important part in the production of flexible thinfilm and flexible substrate is the fact that we emboss the photo - thermovoltaic sheet with specific leaf surface characteristics. This adds to the natural look, and will help to harvest more solar radiation, it will cause light refraction, caused by the embossed (wrinkled) surface of the nanoleaf. The terms refraction and reflection describe two ways that solar radiation change the course upon encountering a nanoleaf surface between two media. The nanoleaf might consist of two different substances, such as shinny reflecting (or non reflecting - perhaps even glossy) solar (nano) photovoltaic material, or a Nanoantenna material that collects sunlight, and reflects it, and furthermore comprises a feature that collects heat and converts it into electricity but as well reflects heat to different Nanoleaves in different layers within the tree canopy or plant canopy.

Reflection occurs, as in a mirror, when a sun ray encounters the boundary but does not pass into the second medium, instead immediately changing course and returning to the original medium, typically reflecting from the surface at the same angle at which it contacted it. Refraction occurs, as in a lens, when a sun ray passes from one medium into the second, deviating from the straight path it otherwise would have taken. The amount of deviation or "bending" depends on the indexes of refraction of each medium, determined by the relative speed sunlight in the two media. Sun rays entering a medium with a higher index of refraction are slowed, leaving the Nanoleaf surface and entering the second, third, fourth etc. at a greater angle than the incident sun ray. Sun rays entering a Nanoleaf with a lower index - because climate conditions - are accelerated and leave the boundary and enter the second, third, fourth, etc. at a lesser angle. Incident sun light rays tend to be fully reflected from a surface met at a shallow angle; at a certain critical angle and at greater angles, some of the sunlight rays is also refracted; for example looking at the surface of water from a boat, for instance, one can see down into the water only out to where the sight line reaches the critical angle with the surface. Light passing through a prism is mostly refracted, or bent, both when it enters the prism and again when it leaves the prism. Since the index of refraction in most substances depends on the frequency of the sun rays, light of different colours is refracted by different amounts hence the colourful rainbow effect of prisms. The surface between solar leaves or needles does not have to be abrupt for reflection or refraction to occur. On a sunny day, were the wind directly plays with the solar leaves and or needles it creates more and faster reflection and refraction within the tree canopy and or plant canopy. Light travels more quickly, either direct or indirect to the lower region of the canopy, so light coming down from the sky (from not too steep an angle) is refracted enhanced by the wrinkled (embossed) surface of the Nanoleaf back up again, into the canopy, giving a maximum solar energy collection.

For our artificial leaves to be successful we not only had to find about their thermophotovoltaic qualities but also, how they perform in very difference behaviour with wind and branches, although not many have paid attention to this. We studied extensively simulation processes of free leaves' movement blown by wind. They are designed and controlled by the spatial arrangement of flows, four types of flow primitives: uniform, sink, source and vortex. The flow exerts forces on leaves, including mechanical strain in leaves' tangential direction and stress forces in leaves' normal direction, and the leaves' movements were controlled by classical Newtonian mechanics. There are many different leaves all with different properties therefore we can account for all leaves, no matter what size, however, small leaves, little movement, big leaves, more movement thus more energy.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to the biomimicry concept, looking at nature in new ways to fully appreciate and understand how it can be used to help solve problems, in this case the construction of artificial leaves and needles. Nature as model means emulating nature's forms, processes and systems to solve human problems; this is the act of biomimicry. Nature as measure means evaluating our designs and solutions against those of nature. This involves asking if our current methods are as efficient, simple and sustainable as those found in nature. By having analysed the tree and plant structures we can disclose a new and improved method for affixing the leaves and needles to twigs stems or branches thereof by using cable tie principle. More particularly, the present invention is directed to not only an improved method and construction for affixing leaves and/or other branches and limbs in an aesthetically pleasing and authentically appearing fashion but to exploit stress loads in petiole/leaf stalk with the incorporation of piezo electric materials at these stress locations.

Still further, the present improves upon the prior art by obviating the inherent problem in affixing an artificial leaf or needle having a leaf surface and petiole or stalk to a twig, stem or branch. Moreover there is shown herein an economic and quick and simple method for permanent securing a thermo- photovoltaic sheet and secure and permanent attachment to a twig, stem or branch. Generating via artificial leaves a multitude of renewable energy from stress loads on leaves, petiole, stalk or stem, which additionally are authentic looking, particularly with respect to those portions of the artificial leaves and branch segments where the branches are connected with the leaves. Main branches are connected with the help of Ferrule piezoelectric connecting elements, to supporting branches or trunks. These and numerous other features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent upon a detailed description thereof and with reference to the claims and drawings herein: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 an illustration of a piezoelectric element

Fig. 2 an illustration of piezoelectric activity when stress is applied

Fig. 3 an illustration showing artificial leaf nerve top and side views A ₁ B ₁ C ₁ D

Fig. 4 an illustration showing piezoelectric connecting element

Fig. 5 an illustration showing branch with 119 leaf connection points

Fig. 6 an illustration of a raindrops hitting nanoleaf

Fig. 7 variety of branches with Nanoleaves

Fig. 8 collection of nanoleaf designs

Fig. 9 collection of nanoleaf designs

Fig. 10 collection of Nanoleaf designs

Fig.11 Collection of nanoleaf designs

Fig. 12 Collection of Nanoleaves design including margins

Fig. 13 Collection of Nanoleaf surfaces

Fig.14 Collection of Nanoleaf surfaces

Fig. 15 Nanoleaf overview DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As it is shown in our illustrations and the prior art, we have gone quiet some length to understand the Darwinian laws that play around in trees, surely they have done it right, being still here after millions of years is reason enough to believe that energy harvesting can be done anywhere, we just need the right thing. In this case artificial trees and plants that can be affixed with artificial leaves or needles for the purpose of harvesting and capturing solar radiation, and wind energy. Today's nanotechnology has made great steps forwards, nano photo - thermovoltaic and piezoelectric materials become cheaper, production faster, and the efficiency going up. We bring science and nature together; we deliver energy via form, function and micro-engineered materials. We make use of breakthrough technology including bio-based materials from renewable plant sources that will reduce the cost per watt of solar cells. These bio-based polymers, we intend to use produce robust bio-based components that meet the stringent thermal and durability requirements of current solar cell manufacturing processes. These materials can be used directly in conventional manufacturing systems, such as injection molding and thin-film roll- to-roll, to create superstrate layer, substrate layer, and backsheet and as well as module and panel components. Whether solar and thermal cells are produced using crystalline silicon, amorphous silicon or other solar thermal technologies, this material can help reduce the cost per watt through the use of its lower cost bio-based materials.

Nanoleaves made from bio-based materials make use of the latest photo and thermovoltaic materials; new thinfilm process allows us to make use of bio- based flexible thinfilm on both sides, deposition of thinfilm cells in leaf shape form, new method for attaching a nanoleaf to a twig or branch via the piezoelectric connecting elements, and a new way to connect a photo-thermovoltaic film to a leaf carrier say leaf nerve including rib segments.

Plant and trees are complex structures, but their geometry is known to obey simple laws: diameters and length of segments are well organized from trunk to small branches including the complex sway motion and various directions of leaves and limbs. One may observe the amount of crucial bending and friction points that are similar to our natural trees and plants

The connective means in fig 4 shows a piezoelectric connecting element that is simply driven into the petiole and the other side into the twig, stem or branch, a permanent fit. A connection that is virtually indistinguishable from and constitutes an authentic replica of a real leaf growing from a real branch or twig.

From the preferred embodiments it shows that we have gone extremely far in understanding the dynamics of trees and plants, this has resulted in a wealth of information that will be used to optimize the tree, shrub and plants to ensure maximum strength and durability, maximum energy generation being the conversion of solar radiation and wind energy (kinetic energy) into clean electricity.

The present invention was achieved in order to solve the aforementioned problems and is aimed at providing a green solar/wind power collecting structure which can effectively be used in areas that are restricted or that have commercial value, like private home gardens, recreation areas, nature resorts, urban areas, non productive areas within industrial sites, mountains and hill areas, coastlines, deserts, oceans, military, lakes: all for the purpose of generating solar energy.

The exemplary embodiments herein disclosed are not intended to be exhaustive or to unnecessarily limit the scope of application of the invention. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles use of the present invention so that others skilled in the art may practice the invention. Having shown and described exemplary embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art will realize that many variations and modifications may be made to affect the described invention. Many of those variations and modifications will provide the same result and fall within the spirit of the claimed principals of use of the method of harvesting the sun's energy. It is the intention, therefore, to limit the invention only as indicated by the scope of the claims.