New material walls make summer heat more bearable

The summer heat is becoming increasingly unbearable and prolonged due to climate change, and the cooling

Insulation is now the main solution to prevent heat from entering the building.The use of an additional material that inhibits its penetration can curb the rise in room temperature and, in turn, reduce the cooling load of the building.

The team, led by Dr. Sarng Woo Karng from the Department of National Studies at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), successfully reduced heat penetration through the walls of the building using phase change materials (PCM).

PCM are materials that absorb orrelease heat from / to the environment, but do not change the temperature during the phase transition. One of the most common types of such materials is paraffin oil, which is used to make candles. Solid PCM can be used in the construction of building walls to block heat penetration.

(a) Cross-section of the PCM wall (b) Position of temperature measurement. Photo: Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST)

Dr. Karng's team used bubbles to create the new technology.By injecting bubbles into the bottom of the PCM during its phase transition, it was possible to ensure uniform circulation of the substance in the liquid phase. 

Scientists hope that a PCM insulation wall using a bubble generator will beHelp reduce the amount of energy used to heat or cool a building. 

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