Work

A pure radiant cooling device for “air conditioning” without conditioning air

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Ever since the birth of the first air conditioner (Carrier air conditioner) in 1902, over one hundred years ago, it has been accompanied by several technical problems, e.g., (1) low energy efficiency in large open spaces, (2) spread of pollutants, airborne pandemic transmission (e.g., severe acute respiratory syndrome [SARS], COVID-19) through air-conditioning systems, and (3) low comfort caused by fan noise and blowing sounds. Here, we report a personalized pure radiant cooling device that decouples the fresh air supply from space cooling to achieve air conditioning without conditioning the air. Condensation-free radiant cooling with a radiant cooling capacity of 152 W/m2 is achieved with a polyethylene (PE) film-covered super-cold infrared-emissive surface. By optimizing the design and operation parameters, the device saves up to 50.4% of cooling energy in a typical summer building environment. Our concept opens up the possibility of pandemic-free personalized thermal management with high energy efficiency and thermal comfort.

Source: Cell Reports Physical Science

DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102191

Authors: Xinyao Zheng, Yuekuan Zhou, Jinbo Li, Siyi Li

Institutions: The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou), Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Midea Group (China)

Language: English

Topic: Thermal Radiation and Cooling Technologies

Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Affordable and clean energy

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $5,460