Smart windows switch on the light

Author

Lampert, Carl M.

Author_Institution

Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA, USA

Volume

8

Issue

2

fYear

1992

fDate

3/1/1992 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

19

Lastpage

26

Abstract

Optical switching devices for regulating incident solar energy that can replace traditional windows in buildings, vehicles, and aircraft are discussed. The chromogenic material in these smart windows exhibits a large change in optical properties with variation in applied electrical field, charge, light intensity, spectral composition, or temperature. The optical change transforms the material from a highly transmitting state to a partly reflecting (or absorbing) state over all or part of the visible and solar spectra. The optical switching can be activated electrically or nonelectrically. Electrically activated types, including electrochromic, liquid-crystal, and dispersed-particle (electrophoretic) devices, as well as devices based on reversible electrodeposition, and nonelectrically activated types, including devices based on photochromic and thermochromic materials, are described.<>

Keywords

aircraft; building; electrochromic devices; liquid crystal devices; optical materials; optical switches; vehicles; absorbing state; aircraft; buildings; chromogenic material; dispersed-particle; electrically activated types; electrochromic devices; electrophoretic devices; incident solar energy; liquid-crystal; nonelectrically activated types; optical switching; photochromic materials; reflecting state; reversible electrodeposition; smart windows; thermochromic materials; transparent state; vehicles; Aerospace materials; Aircraft manufacture; Composite materials; Electrochromism; Liquid crystal devices; Optical devices; Optical materials; Optical switches; Solar energy; Temperature;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Circuits and Devices Magazine, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

8755-3996

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/101.127309

Filename

127309