Document Type

Theses, Ph.D

Rights

Available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International Licence

Publication Details

Technological University Dublin 2016.

Abstract

Suspended particle device (SPD) glazing is an AC powered switchable glazing. PV powered SPD evacuated (vacuum) glazing was proposed with the potential of reducing the heating demand, cooling demand and artificial lighting demand of a building. To achieve an autonomous SPD vacuum glazing, semi empirical simulation and outdoor characterisation was explored in this thesis. Transmission of SPD glazing (area 0.058 m2) varied from 5% when opaque to 55% when transparent in the presence of 110 V, 0.07 W AC supply was characterised in outdoor test cell in Dublin. The SPD glazing has variable spectral transmission in the presence of variable applied voltage, with high transmission in the near infrared between 700 to 1100 nm. 30% transparent SPD glazing in a particular room configuration provided a constant 4% daylight factor with acceptable glare. Use of a 0.34 m2 vertical photovoltaic (PV) panel was investigated to self-power (autonomous) an SPD glazing system. The dynamic behaviour of the PV-powered SPD glazing gave good switching times that would maintain occupant comfort. It was observed that SPD material inside a glazing unit absorbs solar radiation giving a high glazing surface temperature. For this SPD glazing alone, the overall heat transfer coefficient (U-value) was found to be 5.9 W/m2K typical of a single glazing. A SPD switchable double-glazing, was found to have a U-value of 1.99 W/m2K. A vacuum glazing was attached to the SPD glazing was found to have a U-value of 1.14 W/m2K.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.21427/D7P31T


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