DailyDirt: Looking Through Better Windows
from the urls-we-dig-up dept
Glass is a material that has been known to people since before 2000 BC (and as far back as 3500 BC). It's everywhere now. We even carry around smartphones with glass touchscreens. But until we come up with "transparent aluminum" to replace glass (that's not just transparent to extreme UV light), we're still working with silica and certain polymers to make cool transparent materials. Here are just a few examples demonstrating the future of windows.- Imagine a window that stops sound but lets in a breeze -- you need to make that window out of material with a negative bulk modulus. It's been done with panes of acrylic drilled with holes that creates a resonance chamber that attenuates a range of sound frequencies. [url]
- Solar panels are usually installed on rooftops, but Organic Photovoltaic (OPV) cells could turn windows into energy-generating fixtures. Unfortunately, only opaque solar cells can maximize the amount of light energy converted into electricity.... [url]
- Smarter windows can be touchscreens or contain embedded wireless antennas. Yay! Can't wait until windows can display a translucent blue screen of death. [url]
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Filed Under: energy, glass, organic photovoltaic cell, plastic, solar cell, soundproof, transparent aluminum, window
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actually, the visible spectrum of light is very small, you can have very efficient PV's that are transparent to visible light and be highly efficient.
the problem with OPV's is their lifespan, far too short for effective manufacturing energy payback.
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You know, unless physics changed last time I looked at my window it was blue (blue skies *hint hint*). Which means I have had these for a looong time now. You are 30 years late for the party! HAH!
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I need touchscreen windows
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Re: Like I need spam coming from my Fridge
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space age windows ? ? ?
where's my flying car, damn it ! !!
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phys.org: Future solar cells may be made of wood
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Cool really.
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