Optimization of Thermally Driven Building Cooling Systems

Air conditioning is one of the fastest growing consumer product markets in the world. This is due to a combination of growing wealth in sun belt countries, increased incidence of record high temperatures in both sun belt and higher latitude, as well as a reduction in unit costs. This has the effect that efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions worldwide are being frustrated, and in places, reversed by this influential market trend. In addition, many of the hottest areas have no mains electricity or intermittent supply.

The advent of solar air conditioning is the prospective answer, requiring no external electricity supply. Despite the progressively falling costs of photovoltaic panels, they remain to be low efficiency devices. This means that to achieve the cooling power needed in certain places, a panel area greater than that available is needed.

A novel thermal solar cooling system that relies exclusively on thermal solar heat is a potential answer to the problems outlined. Given that solar collectors are significantly more efficient at collecting the desirable solar energy than commercial photovoltaics, the solar collector area requirements are accordingly less. Avoiding the use of photovoltaics, as well as mains power, provides the advantage of the reduced area requirements and all of the costs associated.

Solar thermal conditioning affords a large target market, given the opportunity to provide a zero-carbon cooling technology to those in need. Given the magnitude of this task, one of the fundamental challenges to overcome is the building integration aspect of the technology. This involves identifying and understanding how the technology can be integrated into designs for zero or carbon-negative housing development, as well as echoing that research toward retrofit design that can implement onto existing housing.

The Research Engineer will:

- Identify and understand the challenges associated with building integration of the solar thermal conditioning system.

- Design a range of potential solutions for the novel technology within both existing and new housing developments.

- Develop prospective solutions at in the form of product demonstrators for proof of concept.

- Develop a potential route to market strategy.

The CDT will produce 50 graduates with doctoral level knowledge and research skills focussed on the development and manufacture of functional industrial coatings. Key impact areas are:

Knowledge
- The development of new products and processes to address real scientific challenges existing in industry and to transfer this knowledge into partnering companies. The CDT will enable rapid knowledge transfer between academia and industry due to the co-created projects and co-supervision.
- The creation of knowledge sharing network for partner companies created by the environment of the CDT.
- On average 2-3 publications per RE. Publications in high impact factor journals. The scientific scope of the CDT comprises a mixture of interdisciplinary areas and as such a breadth of knowledge can be generated through the CDT. Examples would include Photovoltaic coatings - Journal of Materials Chemistry A (IF 8.867) and Anti-corrosion Coatings - Corrosion Science (IF 5.245), Progress in Organic Coatings (IF 2.903)
- REs will disseminate knowledge at leading conferences e.g. Materials Research Society (MRS), Meetings of the Electrochemical Society, and through trade associations and Institutes representing the coatings sector.
- A bespoke training package on the formulation, function, use, degradation and end of life that will embed the latest research and will be available to industry partners for employees to attend as CPD and for other PGRs demonstrating added value from the CDT environment.

Wealth Creation
- Value added products and processes created through the CDT will generate benefits for Industrial partners and supply chains helping to build a productive nation.
- Employment of graduates into industry will transfer their knowledge and skills into businesses enabling innovation within these companies.
- Swansea University will support potential spin out companies where appropriate through its dedicated EU funded commercialisation project, Agor IP.

Environment and society
- Functionalised surfaces can potentially improve human health through anti-microbial surfaces for health care infrastructure and treatment of water using photocatalytic coatings.
- Functionalised energy generation coatings will contribute towards national strategies regarding clean and secure energy.
- Responsible research and innovation is an overarching theme of the CDT with materials sustainability, ethics, energy and end of life considered throughout the development of new coatings and processes. Thus, REs will be trained to approach all future problems with this mind set.
- Outreach is a critical element of the training programme (for example, a module delivered by the Ri on public engagement) and our REs will have skills that enable the dissemination of their knowledge to wide audiences thus generating interest in science and engineering and the benefits that investments can bring.

People
- Highly employable doctoral gradates with a holistic knowledge of functional coatings manufacture who can make an immediate impact in industry or academia.
- The REs will have transferable skills that are pertinent across multiple sectors.
- The CDT will develop ethically aware engineers with sustainability embed throughout their training
- The promotion of equality, diversity and inclusivity within our cohorts through CDT and University wide initiatives.
- The development of alumni networks to grow new opportunities for our CDT and provide REs with mentors.