MADMEC III:
Making and Designing Materials Engineering Contest
"Materials Solutions for Alternative Energy"

Team Name: Thermeleon

Team Members:

Yin Fan, DMSE G

Lin Jia, DMSE G

Nick Orf, DMSE G

Raf Mickiewicz, DMSE G

Gagan Saini, DMSE G

Consultant:

Joe Walish, DMSE PhD '08

Abstract:
The goal of this work is to create conformal surface coatings that modulate the reflectivity of large surfaces in response to changes in the ambient temperature. These coatings will consist of hermitically sealed enclosures containing two immiscible fluids having very different reflectivities but similar densities. At low temperatures the low reflectivity fluid will have a low density and float above the higher density, higher reflectivity material. At elevated temperatures the relative densities of the fluids will flip, causing the higher reflectivity material to rise to the top of the fluid stack and increase the outward facing reflectivity of the device. In this way, the temperature of the covered surface will be regulated by increasing heat absorption at low temperatures while minimizing heat absorption when hot. This change in relative density may arise from differences in thermal expansion in the two materials or from a phase transition, such as melting. Initial work will focus on identifying suitable fluids.

Early prototypes are expected to be in the form of hermetically sealed tiles, similar to common roofing material. Future device prototypes will focus on miniaturizing the design to microscopic capsules that contain the two-fluid system and are easily dispersible over large areas via typical painting or spraying methods.

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