Evaluating the potential of low-e coated 3-layer ETFE pillows as an energy efficient building material

摘要

ETFE (Ethylene Tetra Fluoro Ethylene) is a lightweight polymer that is gradually gaining favor as an aesthetically pleasing building material, most commonly used by layering the foils to form `pillows'. Widespread use of this material, however, is hindered by its poor thermal insulation properties. The heat transmission properties of ETFE can be altered by adding a thin coating of low-emissivity material on top of the foil, as is currently done with glass for windows. This paper presents a quantitative analysis of the change in the heat insulation capabilities of 3-layer ETFE pillows when low emissivity coatings are added to the different layers in various configurations. Dymola simulation was used to generate the results and the low-e coated pillows were found to possess thermal insulation properties on par with modern glass panels and much superior compared to uncoated 3-layer and even coated 2-layer pillows.