Thermal-Responsive Smart Windows with Passive Dimming and Thermal Energy Storage
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER:
PROVIDER: S-EPMC11209917 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jun
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Similar Datasets
Project description:Lithium-ion-assisted ultrafast charging double-electrode smart windows with energy storage and a fluorescence display device (FTO/PB/Ru@SiO2||Ru@SiO2/WO/FTO) based on double electrochromic electrodes (cathode and anode) (FSDECEs) have been designed and fabricated. Here, Prussian blue (PB) and WOred are selected as the electrochromic cathode and anode, respectively. There is a synergistic effect and a large potential difference between the two electrodes. They could be simultaneously and rapidly bleached after being connected with each other. Also, the fluorescence intensity of Ru@SiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) could be regulated by the fluorescence resonance energy transfer effect (FRET). After discharging, the two electrochromic electrodes in the bleached state can be recharged by a Mg-O2 battery with a FeN5 single atomic catalyst to quickly recover the colored state. The double electrochromic electrodes can reversibly alter between coloring and bleaching states only by connecting and disconnecting the electrodes. The fluorescence intensity of FSDECEs can switch between quenching and emission, thus endowing the "on" and "off" functions. The system is concise, environmentally friendly, and easy to operate. The proposed FSDECEs demonstrate high fluorescence contrast, a fast response time, and long-term stability. Such an ingenious design of fluorescence switching based on the double electrochromic electrode in a single cell sheds light on next-generation transparent, portable, and self-powered electrochromic devices and electronic equipment.
| S-EPMC7760464 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Rechargeable mild aqueous Zn/MnO2 batteries are currently attracting great interest thanks to their appealing performance/cost ratio. Their operating principle relies on two complementary reversible electrodeposition reactions at the anode and cathode. Transposing this operating principle to transparent conductive windows remains an unexplored facet of this battery chemistry, which is proposed here to address with the development of an innovative bifunctional smart window, combining electrochromic and charge storage properties. The proof-of-concept of such bifunctional Zn/MnO2 smart window is provided using a mild buffered aqueous electrolyte and different architectures. To maximize the device's performance, transparent nanostructured ITO cathodes are used to reversibly electrodeposit a high load of MnO2 (up to 555 mA h m-2 with a CE of 99.5% over 200 cycles, allowing to retrieve an energy density as high as 860 mA h m-2 when coupled with a zinc metal frame), while flat transparent FTO anodes are used to reversibly electrodeposit an homogenous coating of zinc metal (up to ≈280 mA h m-2 with a CE > 95% over 50 cycles). The implementation of these two reversible electrodeposition processes in a single smart window has been successfully achieved, leading for the first time to a dual-tinting energy storage smart window with an optimized face-to-face architecture.
| S-EPMC11304267 | biostudies-literature
Project description:We report a series of adamantane-functionalized azobenzenes that store photon and thermal energy via reversible photoisomerization in the solid state for molecular solar thermal (MOST) energy storage. The adamantane unit serves as a 3D molecular separator that enables the spatial separation of azobenzene groups and results in their facile switching even in the crystalline phase. Upon isomerization, the phase transition from crystalline to amorphous solid occurs and contributes to additional energy storage. The exclusively solid-state MOST compounds with solid-solid phase transition overcome a major challenge of solid-liquid phase transition materials that require encapsulation for practical applications.
| S-EPMC9838185 | biostudies-literature
Project description:A promising energy source for many current and future applications is a ribbon-like device that could simultaneously harvest and store energy. Due to the high flexibility and weavable property, a fabric/matrix made using these ribbons could be highly beneficial for powering wearable electronics. Unlike the approach of using two separate devices, here we report a ribbon that integrates a solar cell and a supercapacitor. The electrons generated by the solar cell are directly transferred and stored on the reverse side of its electrode which in turn also functions as an electrode for the supercapacitor. When the flexible solar ribbon is illuminated with simulated solar light, the supercapacitor holds an energy density of 1.15 mWh cm-3 and a power density of 243 mW cm-3. Moreover, these ribbons are successfully woven into a fabric form. Our all-solid-state ribbon unveils a highly flexible and portable self-sufficient energy system with potential applications in wearables, drones and electric vehicles.
| S-EPMC5114596 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Passive radiative cooling has emerged as a sustainable energy-saving solution, characterized by its energy-free operation and absence of carbon emissions. Conventional radiative coolers are designed with a skyward orientation, allowing for efficient heat dissipation to the cold heat sink. However, this design feature presents challenges when installed on vertical surfaces, as nearby objects obstruct heat release by blocking the cooler's skyward view. Here, we introduce a directional radiative cooling glass (DRCG) designed to facilitate efficient heat dissipation through angular selective emission. The DRCG is constructed as a multilayer structure incorporating epsilon-near-zero materials, specifically Si3N4 and Al2O3, layered on an indium-tin-oxide thermal reflector. This innovative design restricts thermal emission to specific angular ranges, known as the Berreman mode. Additionally, the transparent layers enable a visible transmittance exceeding 84 %. Theoretical simulations validate the enhanced cooling performance of the DRCG, exhibiting a temperature reduction of over 1.5 °C compared with conventional glass in hot urban environments characterized by a nearby object temperature exceeding 60 °C and a sky view factor of 0.25. Furthermore, outdoor experiments demonstrate that employing the DRCG as a window enhances space-cooling performance by ∼1.5 °C. These findings underscore the potential of transparent energy-saving windows in mitigating the urban heat island effect.
| S-EPMC11501872 | biostudies-literature
Project description:A window is a unique element in a building because of its simultaneous properties of being "opaque" to inclement weather yet transparent to the observer. However, these unique features make the window an element that can reduce the energy efficiency of buildings. A thermochromic window is a type of smart window whose solar radiation properties vary with temperature. It is thought that the solar radiation gain of a room can be intelligently regulated through the use of thermochromic windows, resulting in lower energy consumption than with standard windows. Materials scientists have made many efforts to improve the performance of thermochromic materials. Despite these efforts, fundamental problems continue to confront us. How should a "smart" window behave? Is a "smart" window really the best candidate for energy-efficient applications? What is the relationship between smartness and energy performance? To answer these questions, a general discussion of smartness and energy performance is provided.
| S-EPMC4168269 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Molecular photoswitches can be used for solar thermal energy storage by photoisomerization into high-energy, meta-stable isomers; we present a molecular design strategy leading to photoswitches with high energy densities and long storage times. High measured energy densities of up to 559 kJ kg-1 (155 Wh kg-1), long storage lifetimes up to 48.5 days, and high quantum yields of conversion of up to 94% per subunit are demonstrated in norbornadiene/quadricyclane (NBD/QC) photo-/thermoswitch couples incorporated into dimeric and trimeric structures. By changing the linker unit between the NBD units, we can at the same time fine-tune light-harvesting and energy densities of the dimers and trimers so that they exceed those of their monomeric analogs. These new oligomers thereby meet several of the criteria to be met for an optimum molecule to ultimately enter actual devices being able to undergo closed cycles of solar light-harvesting, energy storage, and heat release.
| S-EPMC5956078 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Effective battery thermal management (BTM) is critical to ensure fast charging/discharging, safe, and efficient operation of batteries by regulating their working temperatures within an optimal range. However, the existing BTM methods not only are limited by a large space, weight, and energy consumption but also hardly overcome the contradiction of battery cooling at high temperatures and battery heating at low temperatures. Here we propose a near-zero-energy smart battery thermal management (SBTM) strategy for both passive heating and cooling based on sorption energy harvesting from air. The sorption-induced reversible thermal effects due to metal-organic framework water vapor desorption/sorption automatically enable battery cooling and heating depending on the local battery temperature. We demonstrate that a self-adaptive SBTM device with MIL-101(Cr)@carbon foam can control the battery temperature below 45 °C, even at high charge/discharge rates in hot environments, and realize self-preheating to ∼15 °C in cold environments, with an increase in the battery capacity of 9.2%. Our approach offers a promising route to achieving compact, liquid-free, high-energy/power-density, low-energy consumption, and self-adaptive smart thermal management for thermo-related devices.
| S-EPMC7517120 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Architectural thermo-responsive dynamic windows offer an autonomous solution for solar heat regulation, thereby reducing building energy consumption. Previous work has emphasized the significance of thermo-responsive windows in hot climates due to their role in solar heat control and subsequent energy conservation; conversely, our study provides a different perspective. Through a global-scale analysis, we explore over 100 material samples and execute more than 2.8 million simulations across over two thousand global locations. World heatmap results, derived from well-trained artificial neural network models, reveal that thermo-responsive windows are especially useful in climates where buildings demand both heating and cooling energy, whereas thermo-responsive windows with optimal transition temperatures show no dynamic features in most of low-latitude tropical regions. Additionally, this study provides a practical guideline and an open-source mapping tool to optimize the intrinsic properties of thermo-responsive materials and evaluate their energy performance for sustainable buildings at various geographical scales.
| S-EPMC11695856 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Perovskite-based thermochromic smart windows that can change color have attracted much interest. However, the high transition temperature (>45 °C in air) hinders their practical application. Herein, a near-infrared (NIR) activated thermochromic perovskite window that enables reversible transition cycles at room temperature is proposed. Under natural sunlight (>700 W m-2 ), it efficiently harvests 78% NIR light to trigger the thermochromism of perovskites, blocking the heat gain from both the visible and NIR light. Meanwhile, it also exhibits a low mid-infrared emissivity of <0.3, suppressing thermal radiation to the indoor environment. A field test demonstrates that this smart window can reduce the indoor temperature by 8 °C compared to a normal glass window at noon. The near-room-temperature color change, multispectral thermal management, outstanding energy-saving ability, and climate adaptability, and solution-based process of this window make it unique and promising for real applications.
| S-EPMC9108621 | biostudies-literature