Innovative Aerogels for Energy-Efficient Building Applications
Project Description
This project aims to develop innovative aerogel technologies to enhance energy efficiency in buildings. Aerogels are highly porous nanomaterials with exceptionally low thermal conductivity, making them promising insulating materials for building envelopes, including roofs and windows. Further, they can be engineered to achieve high reflectance in the solar spectrum and high emissivity in the transparent atmospheric sky window, allowing them to function effectively as cool roofs. For window applications, aerogels may be tailored for high clarity and combined with low-emissivity (low-e) coatings, with the purpose to minimize both conduction and radiation heat exchange with the surrounding environment. By addressing both building exteriors and windows, these technologies have the potential to significantly reduce cooling and heating demand for modern buildings. This project is expected to involve aerogel synthesis, characterizations, measurements of thermal and radiative properties, modeling, and proof-of-concept system demonstrations
Start Date
Spring 2025
Postdoc Qualifications
The candidate is expected to have earned (or will earn soon) a PhD degree in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, or other related fields. Relevant previous research experience and scientific publications are desired. The candidate should also have excellent writing and speaking skills.
Co-advisors
Amy Marconnet, Professor, School of Mechanical Engineering. Email: marconnet@purdue.edu, website: https://engineering.purdue.edu/MTEC
Jeff Youngblood, Professor, School of Materials Engineering. Email: jpyoungb@purdue.edu , website: https://engineering.purdue.edu/MSE/people/ptProfile?id=11541
Bibliography
1. Bass, Peng, and Youngblood, "Freeze-drying Silica Based Aerogels Using Cryoprotectants and Eutectic Solvent Mixtures", Materials Science, 2015.
2. Abraham et al., "Highly transparent silanized cellulose aerogels for boosting energy efficiency of glazing in buildings", Nature Energy, 2023.
3. Lee et al., "Transparent radiative cooling cover window for flexible and foldable electronic displays", Nature Communications, 2024.
4. Shan et al., "Aerogel-Functionalized Thermoplastic Polyurethane as Waterproof, Breathable Freestanding Films and Coatings for Passive Daytime Radiative Cooling", Advanced Science, 2022.
5. Paulos and Beradi, "Optimizing the thermal performance of window frames through aerogel-enhancements", Applied Energy, 2020.