08-17-2017, 12:39 AM
aerogel as a thermal insulating material seminar report
Abstract
Aerogels are solids with high porosity (<100 nm) and hence possess extremely low density ( 0.003 g/cm3) and very low conductivity ( 10 mW/mK). In recent years, aerogels have attracted more and more attention due to their surprising properties and their existing and potential applications in wide range of technological areas. An overview of aerogels and their applications as the building envelope components and respective improvements from an energy efficiency perspective including performance is given here. This overview covers thermal insulation properties of aerogels and studies regarding structural features which will be helpful in buildings envelope. The improvements of thermal insulation systems have future prospects of large savings in primary energy consumption. It can be concluded that aerogels have great potential in a wide range of applications as energy efficient insulation, windows, acoustics, and so forth.
Introduction
Short supply, limited availability, and increasing energy costs all around the world emphasize the need for immediate energy conservation in both oil rich and oil producing countries. An effective way towards saving energy is to improve the thermal insulation of buildings especially in hot climates where the energy demand for cooling by air conditioning is comparatively higher. In addition to the need for energy saving, high insulating materials are further justified by improved comfort levels and increased building life. Thermal characteristics depend largely on the thermal conductivity of the cell walls and the cell matrix, as well as radiation and convection, with the cell matrix being the most significant factor in determining the overall heat transfer characteristics.