Methods and functional elements for enhanced thermal management of predominantly enclosed spaces

Abstract

Disclosed are methods and functional elements for enhanced thermal management of predominantly enclosed spaces. In particular, the invention enables the construction of buildings with reduced power requirements for heating and/or air-conditioning systems since under certain conditions less energy for heating or cooling is required to maintain, within certain boundaries, desirable temperatures inside such buildings, habitats, or other enclosed spaces.In some instances the invention is in part based on dynamically changing functional elements with variable properties, or effective properties, in terms of their electromagnetic radiative behavior and/or their thermal energy storage properties, or the spatial distribution of the stored thermal energy, which permits the application of methods and algorithms to control the overall thermal behavior of the entire structure in such a way that desired levels of inside temperature can be reached with reduced consumption of external energy (typically electricity, gas, oil, or coal).In some instances no conventional heating of cooling is required at all, whereas in other instances the expenditure of external energy for conventional heating or cooling is reduced. In some instances the invention enables the reduction of the time to reach desired temperatures inside such buildings, habitats, or other predominantly enclosed spaces.

1 - 105 . (canceled) 
     
     
         106 . An apparatus for modulating the impact of electromagnetic irradiance on the thermal energy budget of a predominantly enclosed space, which is at least in part exposed to directionally and temporarily varying levels of said primary electromagnetic radiation, comprising:
 a plurality of functional elements configured to be positioned exterior to an outside facing side of an inner shell of a predominantly enclosed space, wherein:
 an outside facing surface of each of said functional elements has higher reflectivity in the visible (VIS) wavelength range and near infrared (NIR) wavelength range relative to the mid-infrared (MIR) wavelength range; 
 an inside facing surface of each of said functional elements has higher reflectivity in the NIR wavelength range and MIR wavelength range relative to the VIS wavelength range; and 
 a thickness of said functional elements is equal to or smaller than a thickness of said inner shell; and 
   a plurality of support elements configured to mount the plurality of functional elements to an outside facing of the inner shell, the plurality of support elements comprising a size and or thermal conductivity that is smaller relative to the size and or thermal conductivity of the functional element, to reduce thermal conductivity between the functional elements and the inner shell;    thereby modulating the impact of electromagnetic irradiance on said enclosed space.   
     
     
         107 . A method of modulating the impact of electromagnetic irradiance on the thermal energy budget of a predominantly enclosed space, which is at least in part exposed to directionally and temporarily varying levels of said primary electromagnetic radiation, comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing at least an inner shell of said predominantly enclosed space   (b) placing a plurality of functional elements in an exterior position relative to an outside facing side of said inner shell;
 (i) wherein outside facing surfaces of said functional elements have higher reflectivity in the visible (VIS) and near infrared (NIR) wavelength range relative to the (MIR) wavelength range; 
   (ii) wherein inside facing surfaces of said functional elements have higher reflectivity in the NIR and mid-infrared (MIR) wavelength range relative to the (VIS) wavelength range;   (c) wherein a thickness of said functional elements is equal to or smaller than a thickness of said inner shell; and   (d) wherein placing comprises mounting the plurality of functional elements in the exterior position with a plurality of support elements small in size and or thermal conductivity compared to the size and or thermal conductivity of the functional element, to reduce thermal conductivity between the functional elements and the inner shell; thereby modulating the impact of electromagnetic irradiance on said enclosed space.