SELF-COOLING COLA BOTTLES?

On July 12, 2006, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) researcher Steven
Van Dessel and his colleagues will announce their most recent progress--
including a computer model to help them simulate the climate within their test
structure atop the RPI Student Union--at the Solar 2006 Conference in Denver,
Colo.
For 4 years, the researchers have been working on their prototype Active
Building Envelope (ABE) system. Comprised of solar panels, solid-state,
thermoelectric heat pumps and a storage device to provide energy on rainy days
(literally), the ABE system accomplishes the jobs of both cooling and heating,
yet operates silently with no moving parts. NSF is supporting the team to
determine if a microscale version of the technology will function effectively.
According to Van Dessel, thin-film advances could potentially lead to functional
thermal coatings composed of transparent ABE systems. Such systems might
vastly improve the efficiency of temperature-control systems.
"The ease of application would make it possible to seamlessly attach the system
to various building surfaces," he added, "possibly rendering conventional air
conditioning and heating equipment obsolete."
Van Dessel hopes a thin-film version of the ABE system will see uses in a range
of industries, from aerospace--in advanced thermal control systems in future
space missions--to the automotive industry, where it could be applied to
windshields and sun roofs, giving them the ability to heat or cool a car's interior.
"It also may be possible to one day use the ABE system to create packaging
materials for thermal control," he added, "which could lead to things like selfcooling
soda bottles."
Moreinfo: http://www.physorg.com/news8790.html