Performance of adjustable multilayer film based on radiation cooling and electrochromism

Abstract

Energy and environmental challenges caused by the excessive consumption of fossil fuels are major concerns worldwide, and the use of automotive air conditioning can increase total fuel consumption by 10% to 30%, thereby exacerbating these problems. To reduce the energy consumption for automotive air conditioning, a multilayer-film design based on radiative cooling and electrochromic modulation is proposed for regulating the temperature inside vehicles. The designed multilayer-film not only passively realizes temperature drop but also actively regulates the entry of solar radiation, which can help the vehicle air conditioning system to adjust the interior temperature autonomously. To verify its effectiveness, a film-applied empty box device is designed for radiometric temperature measurement. Experimental results indicate that the maximum interior temperature drop of the multilayer film increases by approximately 9.8 ℃ compared with that of single-layer films in the sunlight irradiation, and dynamic temperature regulation of about 4.6 ℃ can be achieved by adjusting the transmittance of the multilayer film. To study the environmental adaptability of the multilayer film, experiments are conducted on an outdoor film-applied device during the summer and winter in Shenyang, China (<inline-formula><tex-math id="Z-20241025175516">\begin{document}$\rm 41^\circ44'N, 123^\circ39'E$\end{document}</tex-math></inline-formula>), the place which is characterized by a typical temperate continental climate. Results indicate that under high temperature conditions of 30–40 ℃ in summer, the maximum internal temperature drop of the multilayer film reaches 12.9 ℃; while under low temperature conditions of 0–15 ℃ in autumn and winter, the maximum internal temperature drop is only 1.9 ℃, preventing the interior temperature from being too low. In addition, the maximum interior temperature drop increases with the solar radiation intensity and ambient temperature increasing. Therefore, the proposed multilayer-film design, with its potential for temperature self-regulation, provides a promising solution for reducing energy consumption and improving passenger comfort.