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MIT researchers have developed a new cooling system made from inexpensive materials that do not require fossil fuel that actually works. The key innovation could soon provide an indispensable, reliable and inexpensive cooling in off-grid locations, as well as other useful applications in the real world.
A parasol of high technology
The invention essentially functions as a high-tech version of a parasol allowing heat emission in the range of average infrared light. These wavelengths of light can directly cross the atmosphere and radiate in the cold of outer space by crossing the greenhouse gases.
And its effects are not a joke! During the first validation tests of the concept, the device has already reached a cooling of 6 C (sure 11 F) below the ambient temperature. But scientists believe that it could be increased as much as 20 degrees Celsius (36 degrees Fahrenheit).
This is not the first time that scientists are trying to design pbadive cooling systems that emit heat in the form of light wavelengths in the middle infrared. But earlier systems were based on complex photonic devices, which makes them expensive and difficult to mbad produce.
However, the MIT team had the idea of masking the device by essentially placing an umbrella and supplementing it with an insulator protecting it from the ambient temperature. It is this breakthrough that has made pbadive cooling more viable in the system.
"We built the configuration and performed outdoor experiments on a roof of MIT," said the co-creator of the device. Bikram Bhatia. "This was done with very simple materials" and clearly showed the effectiveness of the system.
Deceptively simple
Perhaps the most impressive thing about the device is its simplicity. "It's a bit deceptively simple," said a collaborator and Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Department Head Evelyn Wang.
"Thanks to a distinct nuance and emitter in the atmosphere, two distinct components that can cost relatively little, the system does not require a special capacity for selective emission and absorption. We use the angular selectivity to block the direct sun, as we continue to emit the heat wavelengths to the sky, "said Wang.
This approach makes the system ideal for more localized applications. "This would be useful for refrigeration applications, such as storing food or vaccines," Wang said.
Even though it was not powerful enough to bring down the temperature at all necessary levels, "it could at least reduce the loads" on electric refrigeration systems, said the researcher. It could also be useful in some concentrated photovoltaic systems to avoid overheating.
The team is currently working to improve the insulation of the device to achieve a perfect balance by avoiding that it heats too much ambient air while not blocking its ability to emit heat. The team has already applied for patents.
The new system is described this week in the newspaper Nature Communications.
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