Radiative cooling structures and systems
AssigneesThe Regents of the University of Colorado, a body corporate, University of Wyoming
InventorsRonggui Yang, Xiaobo Yin, Gang Tan, Dongliang Zhao, Yaoguang Ma, Yao Zhai
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Abstract
Polymer-based selective radiative cooling structures are provided which include a selectively emissive layer of a polymer or a polymer matrix composite material. Exemplary selective radiative cooling structures are in the form of a sheet, film or coating. Also provided are methods for removing heat from a body by selective thermal radiation using polymer-based selective radiative cooling structures, and a cold collection system comprising a plurality of the polymer-based selective radiative cooling structures.
Claims12
A cold collection system comprising:
- a plurality of cold collection devices, each cold collection device configured to be in thermal communication with a heat transfer fluid;
- a plurality of selective radiative cooling structures, each selective radiative cooling structure in thermal communication with a surface of one of the plurality of cold collection devices and each of the plurality of selective radiative cooling structures comprising:
- a selectively emissive layer comprising a polymer, and a plurality of dielectric particles dispersed in the polymer, the volume percentage of the plurality of dielectric particles in the selectively emissive layer ranging from 1% to 25% and the plurality of dielectric particles characterized by an average size ranging from 3 μm to 30 μm;
- and
- a reflective layer that is a silver film characterized by an average thickness from 20 nanometers to 300 nanometers, wherein the selectively emissive layer of each selective radiative cooling structure is provided on the reflective layer of each selective radiative cooling structure;
- wherein the selectively emissive layer of each selective radiative cooling structure is characterized by an average emissivity ranging from 0.6 to 1.0 over the wavelength range of 7 μm to 13 μm, and the selectively emissive layer of each selective radiative cooling structure has a transmissivity of 0.7 to 1 over a solar wavelength range of 0.3 μm to 3 μm;
- wherein the polymer of the selectively emissive layer of each selective radiative cooling structure is selected from the group consisting of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a 4-methyl-1-pentene polymer, a 4-methyl-1-pentene copolymer, and polyvinyl fluoride;
- and
- wherein the plurality of dielectric particles of the selectively emissive layer of each selective radiative cooling structure comprises silicon dioxide (SiO2);
- and
- wherein the selectively emissive layer of each selective radiative cooling device is in thermal communication with one of the plurality of cold collection devices.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.