The building sector in the United States is responsible for approximately 40 percent of the primary energy consumption and carbon dioxide emission, and the construction of lighter structures results in higher flexibility, thereby increasing wind-induced vibrations, which may create discomfort and frequent inoperability. It is critical to investigate alternative structural technologies capable of improving energy efficiency and maintaining serviceability. This study re-thinks conventional structural load bearing panels into multifunctional components to generate multiple benefits: (1) significantly increasing the energy efficiency of the building; (2) enabling high efficiency use of the renewable energy; (3) providing ancillary services of operation reserve to the power grid; (4) paring onsite renewable generation (e.g., solar and wind) with energy storage; (5) mitigating natural hazards to ensure serviceability. The potential societal impacts of the environmental-conscious and resilient building are substantial. The education and outreach plan will consist of: (1) integrating research within the undergraduate classrooms through the development of teaching modules and special topics lectures; (2) educating high school students and teachers on the topic of building energy, and teaching and training undergraduate students by directly involving them in the research project; and (3) broadening the participation of under-represented groups by leveraging resources at both research institutions.
Advances in fundamental knowledge will enable to create a multifunctional panel: (1) investigating how Phase Change Materials (PCMs) can be integrated into construction materials (concrete) without significantly altering structural strength; (2) investigating the synergy of combining PCM and a capillary system within a structural panel to significantly enhance energy storage and vibration mitigation capabilities; (3) studying the integration of the multifunctional panel to eliminate ductwork and heat transfer terminals, support a power grid system with high penetrations of as-available renewable energy sources, and dissipate vibrations through inertia. Research tasks will be centered around three hypotheses. (1) PCMs can be integrated into concrete through microencapsulation using low-cost and highly thermal-conductive hollow fly ash particles to enhance the thermal energy storage capacity without significant adverse effect on strength. (2) The synergy of combining PCM and a capillary system into a concrete structural panel can significantly enhance the energy performance by amplifying the efficiency of the energy storage of PCM and directly using low-grade energy, such as ground water, to balance supply and demand. (3) A capillary system embedded in a structural panel can be leveraged through a series of controlled valves to provide vibration mitigation capabilities versus large deflections and vibrations.
