thermo-regulatory building facade

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Passive thermoregulation in facadesByJamesOyeleke

AbstractActive and passive thermoregulation of indoor conditions has come a long

way. They are often complex, costly and limited in their applicability. This

paper presents an alternative passive thermoregulatory faade technology

which incorporates energy storage by phase change material.

1 Problem definition

The facade of a building plays an important role in the quantity of energy

expended to maintain comfort conditions within the building. Traditionalapproach to faade enhancement includes insulation which generally preventsheat loss and gain across the building fabric.

To reach the ambitious requirements set by the government and realize the

comfort that meets the standards of people, the need for a building envelope

that reacts to the changing outdoor environment cannot be over-emphasized.

An ideal faade should absorb heat when needed and readily dispose of it when

not. Present technologies are costly, use a lot of energy and needs a lot of

maintenance. They are often quite complex and difficult to control with a

limited applicability. There is a need for a faade system thats passive, self

regulating and can be applied to domestic as well as commercial buildings.

1.1 TechnologyPhase Change materials

1.2 Research questionsWhat can we learn from thermal regulating systems in nature in order to

develop passive thermo regulating control systems for facades?

Key questions:

1. What nature principles and methods according to passive thermo

regulative control are there?

2. What nature principles and methods according to passive thermoregulation can be

used in a building envelope, and how?


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Technical University Delft BuildingTechnology

3. How can a building envelope sense changes in the environment?

4. What types of adapting climate systems are there now in the state of

the art systems?5. What are the requirements of comfort inside a building?

6. How is the comfort inside a building (office) now?

2 Approach and methodologyThe main purpose of the research will involve the investigation of organisms

that uses passive thermoregulation. The main goal is not to imitate the way

nature solves the thermal problems, but to analyze their principles and

methods. Than find a way to transpose these principles and methods into a

solution for passive thermoregulation in building facades. The aim is to end

up with an actual working prototype rather than to stay in conceptualstatements.

The methodology I want to use is being developed by Lidia Badarnah whose

doing Phd research on Biomimicry for the TU Delft, the department of

Building Technology. Ill apply this methodology to the research of thermo

regulating principles in nature.

2.1 Process development and methodology schemeDefining the boundaries of the research combined with literature exploration

and investigation.

The focus is on building envelopes and skins, general study onconception.

The chosen challenge is passive thermoregulation.

Investigating envelopes in existing buildings:

State of the art envelopes methods, functions,

performances, materials and technologies.

Comfort standards for buildings.

2.1.1 Defining the challenges Defining the real challenges for the

envelope: Identifying the functions.

What do we want our envelope to perform?

Specifying performance requirements and demands for the desired

envelope in terms ofcontrolling the climate.

2.1.2 Analyzing and extracting Translating the required envelope performances in

terms ofbiology: How does nature...?


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In my case: How does nature passive thermoregulate?


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Technical University Delft Building

Technology

Discovering the champion organisms:

Some organisms living in extreme environments are considered tobe as champion adaptors since they depend on the specific

challenge to survive.

The methods and principles of the natural systems are analyzed,

investigated and

summarized.

2.1.3 Abstraction The strategies of the natural systems are abstracted into deep

principles and keywordsThe deep principles and the main key

words, on which these systems are based, are summarized in a tableas reference for further development.

2.1.4 Transformation Based on the abstracted keywords and principles from the natural

systems, a new envelope is developed and designed (the

transformation). This is not a scaling process but an innovative design

that considers the abstracted principles.

2.1.5 Simulations and evaluations The evaluation is based on comparing between existing situations

and between the proposed systems.

Simulations for different situations in order to optimize the performanceof the system.

For example: in a breathing system that is being developed, a surface

has been developed to perform an inhaling and exhaling process

integrated in the skins components. Simulations for different sizes

and distributions of the components are compared with the results of

a standard existing ventilating system. These simulations help in

determining the proper size and distribution of the components in thespecific system, and the required rate ofairexchange.

When the simulations are finished, two results are possible: the

performance ofthe developed system is improved, compared to the

standard case, or the performance is not improved.

Performance is not improved: the system has to go one step back

to the transformation phase to find better proposal, taking in

consideration results from the previous proposal, and go through the

simulations again.

Performance is improved: go to the next step.


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2.1.6 Prototyping A prototype will be made in scale 1:1 and should approach the real

materials as well as possible.

When the prototype is ready, physical tests on some principles could becarried out.


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2.1.7Concluding


On the basis of experimental results and simulations, for each

prototype of the adaptive systems, discuss and conclude on

optimization and improvements and compare with literature and/or

existing ordinary systems. Report the results as conference/journal

papers.

Reporting on passive thermo regulative systems for envelopes with

validation aspects in the form of a thesis and journal publications.

3 Expected results

The expected results are an energy efficient solution for passivethermoregulation abstracted from nature projected to (a part) of the facade.

There are enough principles in nature providing solutions for passive thermal

regulation, but the principles are evolved in time to this specific organism,

climate and location. Applying these principles to something totally different,

like a faade, will bring a lot of challenges with it. Although it wont be an

easy appliance it will provide inspiration and a different perspective to

designing.

3.1 Perspective

The awareness is starting to grow that we may need to design in a differentway. The EPC is tightened so much that some manufacturers are beginning

to realize they cant achieve the new EPC with their present technology, so

there is a need for a different approach. No waste, no toxic, no

environmental pollution and a smart way of coping with energy are things

to

aspire. It cant be done in a days work, but slowly heading towards a moresustainable, durable

and more energy efficient future in facades would be great. It can end up in

using less energy, getting a better climate/comfort and being more

affordable.

4 Requirements and Time scheduleTo graduate you have to fulfil a certain amount of demands, which are set in

the requirements for evaluations graduation work Faade Design Program

(v1.0). These requirements are clarified with the dates of the official

presentation in this chapter. To regulate the amount of work in the amount of

time a time schedule is made.


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4.1 Required

products


In the following scheme youll find a summary of which products have to be

finished by what period. This scheme is used to set the time schedule in the

next chapter and is obtained from

the department of BuildingTechnology.

Table 1: Requirements per period

4.2 Time ScheduleThe time schedule is a rough representation of the work to be done to

graduate. The schedule is planned from April to January, with August taken

out, while this period will be mostly reserved for holiday.


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Wouter Streefkerk -Biomimicry for pa$$iVe thermoregulation in

facade$ Technical Univer$ity Delft -Building Technology-

Time Schedule

Explorlneblomimlcry In general

F nish rep ort MSc3 futurefacade A

St>rt wtih lltorJturo study p studyc:lmi

ate comfort

study Slate ofthe art ofdimate comfort R

come to a problem definition

elQ)Iorethe possbi ilities foranimprovement M Concept Learn ng plan A

y

familiaril.ewiththe approachand methodology bybiomimicry

Studyadaptation forclln1ate oomfort In Nature

C.tagorise them byMorphology

J

Behaviour

Physiology

Finish literat ure study N FinishLearnina pal n

Prepare P2presentation

2- Learning plan/Uteratur estudy/First facadeproposals Explore the possbi le designproposals and rna aselection by a morph ologicalanalyse JDevelop the designs further U Test and improve dert wi thdrawingdet>lls {l:S)and sections (1:20)

Progress with the report on the gradua.tiona.lwork

Summary ofg.-.duotion work as start for sclenttflc paper. T- Prepa representation P4

N

0

v

P4-95% of graduation work finsi hed D

Proceu comment sof the P4-presentation E-f:lnish final report on gradualional work c

Finishst entific:p.aper.Prepare presentation P4

J

APS - Graduation

Tabk>2:TlmeScheduk>


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W o u t e r S t r e e f k e r k B i o m i m i c r y f o r p a s s i v e t h e r m o r e g u l a t i

o n i n f a c a d e s


5 BibliographyBenuys, J. (2002). Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature.Harper Collis,NewYork.

Braungart, M. & McDonough, W. (2002). Cradle to cradle: Remaking the way

we make things. New York, North Point Press.

Synnefa, A. (2007). Estimating the effect of using cool coatings on energyloads and thermal comfort in residential buildings in various climatic

conditions. Berkeley, University ofCalifornia .

Olgyay, V. (1962). Design with climate, Bioclimatic approach toarchitectural regionalism., Princeton, New Jersey, Princeton University.

Vrom et al. (2007). Summary Clean and Efficient Programme [report].

Opstelten, I. J., Bakker, E., Kester, J. (2007). Bringing an energy neutral builtenvironment in theNetherlands under control, Petten, ECN.

I want the doctorate because I want to get a research position I

want to work with the state of the art and extend it. I did not want to"bring yesterday's technology one step closer to tomorrow. I want a

job that I would find interesting, challenging and stimulating. The

doctorate would give me a much better chance at landing a

research role in academia, government or industry

thermo-regulatory building facade

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