Functional carbon-based coating for thermal management in smart windows

• Main Author: Chua, Wei Xuan
• Other Authors: Alfred Tok Iing Yoong
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Materials
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/73886
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

By optimizing energy usage in buildings, research on smart windows have shown the capability of reducing heat transfer, which thus reduces the reliance on air-conditioners and air-heaters. There are many studies on electrochromic windows, but few studies on Electrodeposition Technology for thermal management applications. Graphene Oxide is a widely used material with good thermal and electrical properties but the fabrication process is costly and complicated. Reduced Graphene oxide (rGO) has been identified as the most promising alternative material with similar electrical conductivity and heat dissipating properties as Graphene Oxide(GO). Alternative carbon related material that show great thermal and electrical properties similar to GO and rGO is the Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube (MWCNT). However, the use of Graphene Oxide is costlier than Reduced Graphene Oxide (rGO). Therefore, rGO and other potential carbon related materials such as Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube(MWCNT) will be the focus of this study. The aim of the study is to coat rGO and MWCNT on Fluorine-Doped Tin Oxide (FTO) glass substrate and 3D printed polymer by Electrochemical Deposition and dip-coating respectively and evaluate the efficiency in dissipating solar radiation through heat conduction. Additionally, to find more efficient deposition method of rGO and MWCNT onto 3D printed polymer. The samples were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Dispersive X-Ray (SEM-EDX) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD). Lastly, the rGO and MWCNT samples were analysed using a solar simulator, which simulates actual sunlight, for 30 minutes to observe the performance of both rGO and MWCNT on FTO substrate and 3D printed polymer respectively in conducting heat away from the substrate. Results show that the 10-cycle MWCNT shows a 46.6% reduction in final room temperature as compared to air. 5-cycles and 20-cycles MWCNT show a 35.6% and 39% reduction in final room temperature as compared to air. This suggests that there is an optimal thickness that can be coated onto the hydrogel before its effectiveness starts to decrease.