Veins of phase-change material can turn cementitious construction materials into passive contributors to heating and cooling in buildings.
Veins of phase-change material can turn cementitious construction materials into passive contributors to heating and cooling in buildings.
Drawing inspiration from the veinous ears of jackrabbits and elephants, Drexel University researchers have come up with a new approach to passive heating and cooling that could one day make buildings more energy efficient. Their concept, recently published in the Journal of Building Engineering, embeds a vascular network within cement-based building materials that, when filled with paraffin-based material, can help passively regulate the surface temperature of walls, floors and ceilings.
The approach is an effort to address the substantial contribution of building energy demand — nearly 40% of all energy use — to the production of greenhouse gas. About half of a building’s energy use is spent maintaining a comfortable temperature. And while new insulation products and techniques have helped to shore up walls, windows and ceilings, these surfaces remain the biggest challenge when it comes to holding or losing heat — contributing to about 63% of energy loss in buildings.
Read more at Drexel University
Image: Drexel University researchers are developing building materials— inspired by the vacsculature found in elephant and jackrabbit ears — that can contribute to energy efficient thermal regulation of buildings. (Credit: Drexel University)
