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Super Energy Efficient Structures

Objective

This International Fellowship will bring a leading Chinese researcher to work in the Europe. The project has been carefully chosen to match Dr Li's expertise in heat and fluid flow and energy efficient systems with the expertise in sustainable energy technologies at the University of Nottingham so as to maximise the benefit to the Europe. Transparent structures such as glazed building envelopes and greenhouses often consume more energy than opaque structures to maintain the desired internal environment due to their lower insulation level and higher unwanted summer solar heat transmission. The proposed project aims to develop an innovative double-skin transparent structure that uses solar energy to provide acceptable thermal conditions while reducing the demand for heating and cooling. The transparent structure will incorporate super thermal insulation via a bubble technology. The interior and exterior membranes of the structure create a cavity to replace the glazing of conventional glazed envelopes, and the bubbles contained between the membranes transmit daylight while providing a thick blanket of insulation, which reduces heat loss in winter and solar gain in summer. The novel technology is expected to enable efficient year-round control of internal environments with minimum energy consumption, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Control of bubble movement and distribution requires multidisciplinary scientific knowledge including the physics of bubble generation, fluid flow and heat transfer, material science of transparent membranes. The training of the researcher will be achieved through regular supervision and mentoring and a carefully managed research programme including computer modelling of the bubble movement and heat transfer and thermal performance of a transparent bubble structure, laboratory measurement of the physical and thermofluidic properties of bubbles and the bubble structure as well as economic and environmental analyses.

Call for proposal

FP7-PEOPLE-IIF-2008
See other projects for this call

Coordinator

THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM
EU contribution
€ 181 350,76
Address
University Park
NG7 2RD Nottingham
United Kingdom

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Region
East Midlands (England) Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Nottingham
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Administrative Contact
Paul Cartledge (Mr.)
Links
Total cost
No data