An automatic, solar-powered window blind that spreads like flowers opening in the sun has been invented by engineers in Germany.
The blind system, designed by researchers from the Fraunhofer Society as a way of cooling offices with large glass facades, comprises a network of wires that change shape when heated, opening a patchwork of circular fabric shades.
This allows the blind to adjust itself automatically to the amount of sunlight hitting the window without additional power, said André Bucht, researcher and department head at the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology (IWU), where the technology was developed.
“Picture the façade element as a sort of membrane that adapts to weather conditions throughout each day and during the various seasons of the year, providing the ideal amount of shade however strong the sun,” said Bucht in a statement.
“We don’t need any power since we can rely solely on thermal energy to control the façade element.”
Each textile module is built with integrated shape-memory actuators: thin 80-millimeter-long wires of nickel-titanium alloy that can be bent but return to their original shape when heated.
The wires are activated when they heat up in the sun and noiselessly contract to open the textile components, covering the window. As soon as the sun disappears behind a cloud, the components close leaving the window transparent again.
The system can be attached to the outside of windows or installed between panes of glass, and comes with a range of design options, allowing you to choose the pattern, shape and colour of the individual components.
“For instance, you might want to replace the circular design with triangles or a honeycomb arrangement,” said Bucht.
“You can also control the level of sun exposure for individual sections of the façade – just the top left area, for instance. What’s more, the membrane even fits on curved areas of glass. We’ve reached the point where the design has become independent of the shape of the building.”
The researchers now want to collaborate with industry partners to develop and test a range of prototypes for private and office buildings, with both new-build and retrofitted variants, and launch them commercially by mid-2017.
“One priority will be to design fabric elements that are stable enough to withstand any weather,” said Bucht.
They also plan to include other elements such as variable heat insulation, he added. “It might be possible to store solar thermal energy and then release it when needed to heat the interior, for instance at night. Another idea is to coat the flower fabric components with malleable, organic solar cells in order to generate electricity that can be used within the building.”
The original concept came from design student Bára Finnsdottir from the Department of Textile and Surface Design at Weissensee School of Art in Berlin, which worked with Fraunhofer IWU to produce a demonstration model.
“The challenge in this project was how to bring together innovative technology and design,” said Prof Christiane Sauer from the Weissensee School of Art. “Having designers and scientists work together is the key to pioneering concepts for smart building envelopes.”
The demonstrator, comprising a matrix of 72 fabric components, will be on display at the major manufacturing exhibition Hannover Messe later this month.
No comments:
Post a Comment