Could this Chinese-developed ‘chiller’ change the way we cool our buildings?
- Multi-layer chiller could significantly cut the amount of energy required to keep buildings cool during warmer months
- Integrated radiative and evaporative chiller also shows promise in keeping the human body cool outdoors
Researchers from Tsinghua University in China have developed a new cooling technology that they say could be used to reduce human body heat or cool industrial facilities, data centres and other buildings.
Building cooling – like air conditioning and refrigeration systems – accounts for about 10 per cent of global electricity consumption.
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To help solve the problem, researchers from Tsinghua University have designed a multilayer material that can conduct evaporative and radiative cooling at the same time. Their study was published earlier this month in Nano Research Energy, a peer-reviewed journal published by Tsinghua University.
The “integrated radiative and evaporative chiller” (IREC) uses a material that combines a water-soluble hydrogel layer with an upper layer of breathable fibres to reflect light.
In experiments, the device achieved a record for practical average daytime cooling at 710 watts per square metre – several times that of a single radiative cooling process, according to the authors.