Development of an electrically-switchable superinsulated glazing shutter for greenhouses in Northern Canada

为加拿大北部的温室开发可电动开关的超级隔热玻璃百叶窗

• 批准号: 503117-2016
• 负责人: Whitehead, Lorne
• 金额: $ 4.66万
• 依托单位: University of British Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Collaborative Research and Development Grants
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2017-01-01 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=618891
• 关键词: Development; electrically; switchable; superinsulated; glazing

Food insecurity is widely identified as a serious and growing problem in northern and remote communities in Canada. The food supply problem could be alleviated to a considerable extent by expanding the use of greenhouses built on non-arable land near the communities where the food is needed, thereby also reducing the energy required to transport the food. However, greenhouses are typically built as transparent structures that efficiently transmit the sunlight required for plant growth. Since transparent structures do not provide much thermal insulation, a traditional greenhouse requires significant energy use for temperature control in most climate conditions, and this energy use is prohibitive in cold northern regions. The challenge to develop a greenhouse that can maintain the conditions required for plant growth while consuming only a small amount of energy has been recognized for a long time, and it has not yet been solved. This project aims to take a first important step toward practical northern greenhouses by designing and validating a high performance superinsulating glazing shutter that can be electrically switched between a highly thermally insulating state and a highly light transmissive state. The high insulation characteristic of our system arises from our novel thermal cell array of highly compressible gas-filled pockets contained within a sealed window panel. In the expanded state the panel will have a high thermal insulation value and in the compressed state the panel will be highly transmissive to sunlight, just like a conventional transparent greenhouse. The system will be able to quickly transition between the two states using only an electrostatic actuation system, without any mechanical motor parts. This technology has the potential to make cost-effective, low-energy greenhouses feasible in northern Canada. The benefits of a viable new greenhouse industry in these communities would have tremendous health, economic and social impacts.

粮食不安全被广泛认为是加拿大北部和偏远社区日益严重的问题。粮食供应问题可以通过扩大使用在需要粮食的社区附近的非耕地上建造的温室而得到相当程度的缓解，从而也减少了运输粮食所需的能源。然而，温室通常是透明的结构，可以有效地传输植物生长所需的阳光。由于透明结构不能提供太多的隔热，传统的温室在大多数气候条件下需要大量的能源来控制温度，而这种能源的使用在寒冷的北方地区是禁止的。开发一种温室，既能维持植物生长所需的条件，又能消耗很少的能源，这一挑战早已被认识到，但尚未得到解决。该项目旨在通过设计和验证一种高性能超绝缘玻璃百叶窗，向实用的北方温室迈出重要的第一步，这种百叶窗可以在高度隔热状态和高度透光状态之间进行电力切换。我们系统的高绝热特性来自于我们的新型热电池阵列，这些热电池阵列包含在密封窗板内的高度可压缩的充满气体的口袋。在膨胀状态下，面板将具有很高的隔热值，而在压缩状态下，面板将高度透射太阳光，就像传统的透明温室一样。该系统将能够在两种状态之间快速转换，仅使用静电驱动系统，而不需要任何机械电机部件。这项技术有潜力使低成本、低能耗的温室在加拿大北部可行。在这些社区建立一个可行的新温室产业的好处将对健康、经济和社会产生巨大影响。