Objective
The objective of this applied research project is to develop two components suitable for incorporation into the facade and roof of a building or to constitute the building cladding itself, when assembled in a continuous structure.
The following deliverables will arise from the project:
- Periodic reports and a final report
- Industrial design of a multifunctional active window and of a daylighting device with optic fiber cable
The design components of the Active Intelligent Window were established and a prototype constructed. The research partners used standard commercially available components in an innovative way, to design a simple and cost-effective solution. The window has been incorporated into the design of a school complex in Italy where it provides improved ventilation, cooling and illumination. The Optical Fibre Illuminator is still at an early stage of development but the team identified the main factors determining optical efficiency of collection lenses.
This applied research is addressed to develop two components suitable to be integrated into the facade and the roof of a building or to constitue the building envelope itself, when assembled in a continuous structure. The first one is a multifunctional facade component designed to provide the following functions: solar heating, cooling by ventilation, humidification-dehumidification, air exchange regulation, variable thermal insulation and daylighting, maintaining the appearance of a standard window.
The optimal operating functions are automatically selected according to the available meteorological data (solar radiation, ambient air temperature, relative ambient air humidity), the required indoor conditions (temperature, internal gains, relative humidity, air exchange rate) and to the indoor pattern of human occupancy. An intelligent control 'learns' the best operating configurations and optimizes the successive tunings. The second component is a natural lighter for remote indoor spaces designed to collect direct daylight on the roof by tracking the sun all day long, to concentrate it by means of linear Fresnel lenses on a flexile cable made of optic fibers, and to pipe the natural light up to remote no-windowed spaces. Cold daylighting with reduced indoor thermal gains, energy saving, time dependent perception of the natural variation of daylight are main features of this lighter. The flexibility of light duct makes easy installations. Potential applications are in offices, museums and residential buildings in dense urban areas. The work programme comprises: study of the optimal design configurations, study and development of intelligent control device with sensors and actuators, realization of real scale model unit of control system.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringfibers
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringcontrol systems
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesmeteorologysolar radiation
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensors
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsfibre optics
Topic(s)
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
FIRENZE
Italy