The Photothermal Effects of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles on Energy Efficient Windows

根据美国能源部的数据，2013年，建筑供暖、通风和空调占美国一次能源消耗的14%。窗户占据了建筑表面的很大一部分，是热能损失的主要来源。目前的技术依赖于中间有绝缘气体的双层玻璃来降低能源消耗。由于重量轻、制造简单、易于安装和维护以及所需材料较少等原因，单窗格窗更受欢迎。这项研究的目的是通过降低玻璃内表面和房间内部之间的温差来减少通过单层玻璃的换热。这是通过在玻璃表面涂上一层薄薄的氧化铁纳米颗粒，通过太阳光或人造光产生热量来实现的。涂覆纳米颗粒的单层玻璃窗将极大地降低建筑和家庭的能源消耗，并彻底改变目前的窗户技术。研究团队将招募代表性不足的学生参与这一多学科项目。该项目的目标是了解决定纳米颗粒在宽光谱下的光热效应的光子物理及其对节能窗口技术的热性能的影响。本研究将为光热效应的优化提供光热转换的基础。影响光热效应的因素将从纳米颗粒的尺寸、浓度和分散度、形貌和表面性质方面进行研究。通过计算模拟和物理实验，通过改变空气温度、辐射波长、辐射功率和纳米粒子浓度，建立光热加热对涂有纳米粒子的窗户的光学和热学性能的关系，以实现最佳的建筑能效。

Building heating, ventilation, and air conditioning accounted for 14 percent of primary energy consumption in the United States in 2013 according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Windows take a large fraction of the building surface and are a major source of heat energy loss. The current technologies rely upon double-panes with an insulating gas in between to reduce energy consumption. The single-pane windows are more desirable for reasons including lighter weight, straightforward manufacturing, easy installation and maintenance, and less materials needed. The objective of this research aims to reduce heat transfer through single panes by lowering the temperature difference between the glass inner surface and inside of the room. This is achieved by applying a thin coating of iron oxide nanoparticles onto the glass surface to generate heat through sunlight or artificial light. The single-pane window coated with nanoparticle would greatly lower the energy consumption in buildings and homes, and revolutionize the current window technology. The research team will recruit underrepresented students to participate in this multidisciplinary project. The goal of the project is to understand the photonic physics that dictates the photothermal effect of nanoparticles under a wide spectrum of light and its effects on thermal performance for energy efficient window technology. This study will provide a fundamental base on light to heat conversion for optimization of the photothermal effect. Factors governing the photothermal effect will be investigated in terms of the nanoparticle size, concentration and dispersion, morphology, and surface properties. The relationship between photothermal heating on the optical and thermal properties of windowpanes coated with nanoparticles will be established through both computational simulation and physical experiments by varying the air temperature, wavelength of irradiation, irradiation power, and nanoparticle concentrations for optimum building energy efficiency.