Periodic Reporting for period 2 - MIRACLE (Photonic Metaconcrete with Infrared RAdiative Cooling capacity for Large Energy savings)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2022-08-01 do 2024-01-31
The MIRACLE project aims to construct and test a revolutionary Photonic Meta-Concrete (PMC) whose response to light will be engineered for exhibiting radiative cooling ability; i.e. the PMC will be able to expel heat from buildings to the outer space without any extra energy consumption.
For this to happen, the photonic properties must be engineered for efficiently scattering sun-light while focusing the emissivity in the Atmospheric Window (a narrow spectral region centred at light wavelengths of 10 microns where the atmosphere is transparent). To this end, MIRACLE project is revisiting the concept of concrete at a threefold level.
• The most appropriated chemical ingredients must be chosen in view of their photonic response.
• The hierarchical porous cementitious structure must be carefully tuned to enhance the light scattering.
• The inclusion of microstructures in a regular or random fashion so as to truly form a PMC with radiative cooling performance.
In the context of an increasing global warming this scientific and technologic breakthrough can have a huge impact in the Nearly-Zero-Energy-Buildings (NZEB) uptake and in the global strategy for reducing the CO2 footprint.
Overall, the MIRACLE project endeavours to
(1) prove the feasibility of this breakthrough idea by developing for the first time in the state of the art a radiative cooling device based on a PMC,
(2) fabricate a prototype whose radiative cooling performance will be validated on the roof of a real building and
(3) start the roadmap of this emerging S&T avenue (PMC) by evaluating its potential environmental impact and exploring how the PMCs could be used in other applications.
For this to happen, the photonic properties must be engineered for efficiently scattering sun-light while focusing the emissivity in the Atmospheric Window (a narrow spectral region centred at light wavelengths of 10 microns where the atmosphere is transparent). To this end, MIRACLE project is revisiting the concept of concrete at a threefold level.
• The most appropriated chemical ingredients must be chosen in view of their photonic response.
• The hierarchical porous cementitious structure must be carefully tuned to enhance the light scattering.
• The inclusion of microstructures in a regular or random fashion so as to truly form a PMC with radiative cooling performance.
In the context of an increasing global warming this scientific and technologic breakthrough can have a huge impact in the Nearly-Zero-Energy-Buildings (NZEB) uptake and in the global strategy for reducing the CO2 footprint.
Overall, the MIRACLE project endeavours to
(1) prove the feasibility of this breakthrough idea by developing for the first time in the state of the art a radiative cooling device based on a PMC,
(2) fabricate a prototype whose radiative cooling performance will be validated on the roof of a real building and
(3) start the roadmap of this emerging S&T avenue (PMC) by evaluating its potential environmental impact and exploring how the PMCs could be used in other applications.
The present project status is highly encouraging. We have undertaken a comprehensive study combining simulations and experiments which have enabled a deep scrutiny of the photonic response of most of the phases appearing in cementitious composites. Unlike the few existing works dealing with 3D concrete materials, which have explored the radiative properties of regular concretes, our study has revealed that typical concrete compositions could be drastically optimized. In fact, we have demonstrated (and patented) several concrete designs with radiative cooling capacity. In fact, some of the prototypes were able to remain at temperatutes below the ambient even when exposured to direct sunlight in a hot summer day. This is a real technological breaktrought that can have important practical implications in terms of energy efficiency.
Besides, our Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) has confirmed our prediction and the PCM can be extremely attractive from an environmental point of view while or modelling studies have proved that the use of concrete can reduce the operating temperature of solar cells by up to 20 K, with outstanding efficiency and lifetime gains.
Besides, our Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) has confirmed our prediction and the PCM can be extremely attractive from an environmental point of view while or modelling studies have proved that the use of concrete can reduce the operating temperature of solar cells by up to 20 K, with outstanding efficiency and lifetime gains.
So far, radiative cooling technology has attracted wide interest from both fundamental and applied sciences, due to its a priori potential in multiple applications like building cooling, renewable energy harvesting, or even dew water production. However, currently the development of this technology is in a bottleneck, where the scientific progress has been largely based on either (i) fanciful 1D and 2D photonic metamaterials containing scarce and expensive materials with negligible potential impact in any real-world energy solution; or (ii) hierarchically porous polymer coatings which can be scalable, but at the cost of expensive industrial manufacturing processes, sacrificing spectral selectivity performance and suffering unavoidable durability issues (e.g. ultraviolet UV degradation).
In this context, the MIRACLE project explores the idea of transforming cement-based materials into the “ultimate composites” for radiative cooling. Our educated feeling was that concrete, when properly tuned, can be the “win-win combination” of the aforementioned innovations based on photonic metamaterials and hierarchical porous systems.
Currently, MIRACLE is revolutionizing the technology of radiative materials by fabricating for the first time a cheap, affordable and scalable radiative cooling device based on concrete. This technology (recently patented) has been tested in realistic outdoor scenarios, confirming that MIRACLE concretes can operate at subambient temperatutes even under daytime sunlight exposure. This is a real breakthrough, that can revolutionize both modern buildings and our urban landscape.
(a) Great potential for energy building savings.
(b) Scalability and price competitive
(c) Sustainability and global impact
(d) A good asset for fighting agains the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect.
In this context, the MIRACLE project explores the idea of transforming cement-based materials into the “ultimate composites” for radiative cooling. Our educated feeling was that concrete, when properly tuned, can be the “win-win combination” of the aforementioned innovations based on photonic metamaterials and hierarchical porous systems.
Currently, MIRACLE is revolutionizing the technology of radiative materials by fabricating for the first time a cheap, affordable and scalable radiative cooling device based on concrete. This technology (recently patented) has been tested in realistic outdoor scenarios, confirming that MIRACLE concretes can operate at subambient temperatutes even under daytime sunlight exposure. This is a real breakthrough, that can revolutionize both modern buildings and our urban landscape.
(a) Great potential for energy building savings.
(b) Scalability and price competitive
(c) Sustainability and global impact
(d) A good asset for fighting agains the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect.