Morphological configurations inspired by nature for thermal insulation materials

Badarnah, Lidia; Fernandez, John

Abstract

Cooling and heating of buildings account for a significant part of the global energy consumption, where different insulation materials are applied for energy conservation. With the increasing need to reduce energy demands, developing new energy efficient services and technologies is essential. Our approach is to seek thermal solutions from strategies found in nature. Buildings, in a similar way to nature, are expected to maintain appropriate interior temperatures for occupant comfort. Living organisms maintain body temperature in very narrow ranges in order to survive, by employing a wide array of strategies that continuously balance heat gain and loss processes. In some organisms, the process is achieved through the skin functioning as a thermal medium, whereas in others, it is achieved through their built structures. Most organisms use morphological characteristics to supplement physiological and behavioral thermoregulatory strategies. It is believed that the main contributing parts in heat loss reduction are the morphology, assembly, and structure of the medium, which can analogously applied in buildings. To this end, we distinguish several morphological configurations from nature for thermoregulation, emphasize the morphological role on the thermal behaviour of natural systems, and provide recommendations for the development of new materials and systems for thermal applications.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Conference Name: IASS 2015 Amsterdam Symposium: Future Visions – Environmental Factors
• Acceptance Date: May 1, 2015
• Publication Date: Aug 20, 2015
• Deposit Date: Sep 11, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 25, 2018
• Journal: Proceedings of IASS Annual Symposia
• Print ISSN: 2518-6582
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: biomimicry, arrangement, biomimetics, composition, feather, fibers, form, fur, insulation materials, morphology
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/829839
• Additional Information: Title of Conference or Conference Proceedings : IASS 2015 Amsterdam Symposium: Future Visions – Environmental Factors
• Contract Date: Sep 11, 2018