New! Sign up for our free email newsletter.
Science News
from research organizations

Engineers use quantum computing to develop transparent window coating that blocks heat, saves energy

Date:
November 29, 2022
Source:
University of Notre Dame
Summary:
Scientists have devised a transparent coating for windows that could help cool the room, use no energy and preserve the view.
Share:
FULL STORY

Cooling accounts for about 15 percent of global energy consumption. Conventional clear windows allow the sun to heat up interior spaces, which energy-guzzling air-conditioners must then cool down. But what if a window could help cool the room, use no energy and preserve the view?

Tengfei Luo, the Dorini Family Professor of Energy Studies at the University of Notre Dame, and postdoctoral associate Seongmin Kim have devised a transparent coating for windows that does just that.

The coating, or transparent radiative cooler (TRC), allows visible light to come in and keeps other heat-producing light out. The researchers estimate that this invention can reduce electric cooling costs by one-third in hot climates compared to conventional glass windows.

Transparent radiative coolers can be used for buildings and cars to help address climate change challenges. Luo and his team were able to design their best-in-class TRC by using quantum computing combined with machine learning.

The TRC is made up of multiple ultra-thin layers of materials that must be assembled in a precise configuration. By constructing a computational model of the TRC, researchers were able to test each possible configuration of layers in a fraction of a second to identify the optimum combination and order of materials.

Guided by these results, they fabricated the new coating by layering silica, alumina and titanium oxide on a glass base -- topping it off with the same polymer used to make contact lenses. The result was a 1.2 micron-thick coating that outperforms all other heat-reducing glass coatings on the market.

"I think the quantum computing strategy is as important as the material itself," said Luo. "Using this approach, we were able to find the best-in-class material, design a radiative cooler and experimentally prove its cooling effect."

Their research was published in ACS Energy Letters, a journal of the American Chemical Society.

Tengfei Luo and his MONSTER Lab collaborated with Kyung Hee University in South Korea on this research.


Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Notre Dame. Original written by Karla Cruise. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Seongmin Kim, Wenjie Shang, Seunghyun Moon, Trevor Pastega, Eungkyu Lee, Tengfei Luo. High-Performance Transparent Radiative Cooler Designed by Quantum Computing. ACS Energy Letters, 2022; 4134 DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.2c01969

Cite This Page:

University of Notre Dame. "Engineers use quantum computing to develop transparent window coating that blocks heat, saves energy." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 29 November 2022. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/11/221129165902.htm>.
University of Notre Dame. (2022, November 29). Engineers use quantum computing to develop transparent window coating that blocks heat, saves energy. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 31, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/11/221129165902.htm
University of Notre Dame. "Engineers use quantum computing to develop transparent window coating that blocks heat, saves energy." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/11/221129165902.htm (accessed October 31, 2024).

Explore More

from ScienceDaily

RELATED STORIES