KR20180129384A - Smart window apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A smart window device includes: a smart window including a liquid crystal layer; a power source part for controlling the orientation of the liquid crystal layer by applying driving power to the smart window; and a control part for controlling the operation of the power supply part based on at least one of external illuminance and room temperature. It is possible to block infrared and ultraviolet rays.

Description

Smart window device {SMART WINDOW APPARATUS}

The present invention relates to a smart window device, and more particularly to a smart window device implemented by controlling the liquid crystal orientation. Meanwhile, the present invention relates to a smart window device derived from solving the problem of Creation Power Co., Ltd. under the support of a research and development advanced human resource support project (engineering and system advanced track for building green remodeling) of the Korea Energy Technology Evaluation & Invention.

Smart windows are windows that change the light transmittance according to the voltage level. That is, when the outdoor temperature is high, the permeability of the glass window is lowered to block the radiation heat by the solar radiation, and when the outdoor temperature is lowered, the permeability of the window increases, and the solar radiation enters the room to increase the room temperature due to the solar radiation.

 Smart windows are environmentally friendly and enable efficient energy use by reducing cooling and heating loads. In addition, it improves the quality of life of users by establishing a safe and pleasant residential and urban environment. It is a functional alternative that can be used in various applications not only in buildings but also in industry (information sign, product display) and traffic (sunroof).

In developed countries such as USA, Japan and Europe, Smart Window has been spotlighted as next-generation high-function and high value-added products, and it has been developed to develop products using smart materials for use in energy saving intelligent buildings, Is active. Products are being developed in the fields of indoor partitions using liquid crystal materials and automotive mirrors using electrochromic glass. In Korea, basic researches on films using liquid crystal among various materials are under way, and researches are being carried out by institutes including institutes.

According to a report published by NanoMarkets in 2013, SmartWindow has formed a market of $ 1 billion ($ 1.2 trillion). It also expects to grow to $ 2.7 billion ($ 3.00 trillion) by 2018. Although the smart window market is mainly formed overseas, smart window technology is actively being developed in the domestic market.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a smart window device that controls a smart window according to conditions such as temperature and illumination, and blocks infrared rays and ultraviolet rays.

It should be understood, however, that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

In order to accomplish one object of the present invention, a smart window device according to embodiments of the present invention includes a smart window including a liquid crystal layer, a power source for controlling the orientation of the liquid crystal layer by applying driving power to the smart window, And a control unit for controlling the operation of the power supply unit based on at least one of the indoor temperature and the indoor temperature.

According to one embodiment, the smart window may include a first transparent substrate, a first transparent electrode disposed on the first transparent substrate, a second transparent electrode disposed on the first transparent electrode to transmit or scatter light according to the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules A second transparent electrode disposed on the liquid crystal layer, and a second transparent substrate disposed on the second transparent electrode.

According to an embodiment, the smart window may further include an infrared reflective layer disposed between the first substrate and the first transparent electrode.

According to one embodiment, the infrared reflective layer may comprise a transparent oxide material.

According to an embodiment, the infrared reflective layer may include a plurality of refractive layers having different refractive indices from each other.

According to one embodiment, the smart window may further include an ultraviolet blocking layer disposed on the second transparent substrate or below the first transparent substrate.

According to an embodiment, when the external illuminance is equal to or less than a predetermined first reference value, the control unit may block the power supply unit from providing the driving power.

According to an embodiment, when the outside illuminance exceeds the first reference and the room temperature exceeds a predetermined second reference, the control unit may block the power supply unit from providing the driving power.

According to an embodiment, when the external illuminance exceeds the first reference and the room temperature is lower than a predetermined second reference, the control unit may control the power supply unit to provide the driving power.

The smart window device according to embodiments of the present invention adjusts the transmittance of visible light rays in a smart window according to conditions such as temperature, illumination, and weather, and simultaneously provides ultraviolet ray blocking and infrared ray reflection functions, Can be reduced.

However, the effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects described above, and may be variously extended without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a smart window device in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.
FIGS. 2A and 2B are views for explaining examples of the operation of the smart window included in the smart window device of FIG.
3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a smart window included in the smart window device of FIG.
4 is a block diagram showing another example of a smart window included in the smart window device of FIG.
5A and 5B are views showing an example in which the smart window device of FIG. 1 is applied to a building.

For the embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, specific structural and functional descriptions are set forth for the purpose of describing an embodiment of the invention only, and it is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention may be practiced in various forms, The present invention should not be construed as limited to the embodiments described in Figs.

The present invention is capable of various modifications and various forms, and specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the text. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.

The terms first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The terms may be used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as a first component.

It is to be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected or connected to the other element, . On the other hand, when an element is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another element, it should be understood that there are no other elements in between. Other expressions that describe the relationship between components, such as "between" and "between" or "neighboring to" and "directly adjacent to" should be interpreted as well.

The terminology used in this application is used only to describe a specific embodiment and is not intended to limit the invention. The singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. In the present application, the terms "comprise", "having", and the like are intended to specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, or combinations thereof, , Steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof, as a matter of principle.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be construed as meaning consistent with meaning in the context of the relevant art and are not to be construed as ideal or overly formal in meaning unless expressly defined in the present application .

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals are used for the same constituent elements in the drawings and redundant explanations for the same constituent elements are omitted.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a smart window device in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the smart window device 100 may include a smart window 120, a power source 140, and a controller 160.

The smart window 120 may include a liquid crystal layer in which the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules is changed by receiving driving power. In one embodiment, the smart window 120 includes a first transparent substrate, a first transparent electrode disposed on the first transparent substrate, a second transparent electrode disposed on the first transparent electrode to transmit or scatter light according to the liquid crystal alignment A liquid crystal layer, a second transparent electrode disposed on the liquid crystal layer, and a second transparent substrate disposed on the second transparent electrode.

The transparency and the like of the smart window 120 can be controlled depending on whether the driving power is applied or not. For example, when the power source is not applied to the smart window 120, the liquid crystal molecules are irregularly arranged and scattered to become opaque. On the other hand, when the driving power is applied, They are arranged in a parallel direction to have a refractive index similar to that of a polymer and have a refractive index similar to each other, so that light can be transmitted and become transparent.

In one embodiment, the smart window 120 may further include an infrared reflective layer for infrared reflection and an ultraviolet barrier layer for ultraviolet absorption or blocking. In addition, the smart window 120 may further include an adjustment layer for adjusting the transparency of the smart window by adjusting the transmittance of the visible light.

The power supply unit 140 may apply the driving power to the smart window 120 to control the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer. In one embodiment, the power supply unit 140 converts sunlight into electrical energy, converts the sunlight into electrical energy, and provides the electrical energy to the smart window 120. [ For example, the power supply unit 140 may include a solar cell that converts light energy into electric energy. Alternatively, the power supply unit 140 may generate the driving power by receiving power from another power source.

The control unit 160 may control the driving power application operation of the power supply unit 140. In one embodiment, the controller 160 may control the driving power application operation of the power supply unit 140 based on at least one of a room temperature and an external illuminance. In one embodiment, the controller 160 may include at least one of an illuminance sensor and a temperature sensor.

In one embodiment, when the external illuminance of the building or the like in which the smart window 120 is installed is lower than a predetermined first reference level, the controller 160 may block generation or application of driving power of the power source unit 140. That is, when the external illuminance is lower than the first reference, the smart window 120 may become opaque. For example, the first criterion is set to an illumination defined at night, and the smart window 120 may become opaque at night. If the external illuminance exceeds the first reference, the controller 160 controls the power supply unit 140 to generate and apply the driving power so that the smart window 120 can be in a transparent state. Thus, unnecessary lighting load and energy consumption due to this can be reduced.

The control unit 160 may control the power supply unit 140 based on the relationship between the external temperature and the internal temperature. Alternatively, the control unit 160 may control the power unit 140 and the smart window 120 in conjunction with the cooling / heating equipment of the air conditioning system.

In one embodiment, when the internal temperature of a building or the like in which the smart window 120 is installed exceeds a second preset reference, the controller 160 may block generation or application of driving power of the power source unit 140. That is, when the internal temperature exceeds the second criterion, the smart window 120 may become opaque. For example, when the indoor temperature is higher than the second reference temperature, the control unit 160 may stop generating or applying driving power to the power supply unit 140, The smart window 120 can be kept in an opaque state.

On the contrary, when heating is required as in winter, when the internal temperature falls below a predetermined third reference value in order to increase heating efficiency, the controller 160 controls the power supply unit 140 to generate and apply the driving power, The smart window 120 can be in a transparent state. Accordingly, the cooling / heating energy consumption can be effectively reduced by blocking or acquiring the four-row heat according to the external temperature and the internal temperature.

Also, the controller 160 may control the transparency of the smart window 120 in consideration of the temperature and the illuminance. The control unit 160 controls the operation of the power unit 140 and the operation of the power unit 140 when the outside temperature exceeds the first reference and the indoor temperature exceeds the predetermined reference, Power generation or application is blocked, and the smart window 120 can be kept opaque. The control unit 160 controls the power supply unit 140 to supply power to the driving power source 140. In this case, when the outside illuminance exceeds the first reference level and the room temperature is lower than the predetermined reference level, As shown in FIG.

As described above, the smart window device 100 according to the embodiments of the present invention can reduce energy consumption for cooling and heating and energy consumption for illumination by adjusting the transmittance of visible light rays in a smart window according to conditions such as temperature, illumination, and weather .

FIGS. 2A and 2B are views for explaining examples of the operation of the smart window included in the smart window device of FIG.

2A and 2B, the smart window 120 includes a first transparent substrate 121, a first transparent electrode 122 disposed on the first transparent substrate 121, a second transparent electrode 122 disposed on the first transparent electrode 122, A second transparent electrode 124 disposed on the liquid crystal layer 123, and a second transparent electrode 124 disposed on the second transparent electrode. The liquid crystal layer 123 is disposed on the second transparent electrode 123 to transmit or scatter light according to the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules. And may include a substrate 125.

The first transparent substrate 121 and the second transparent substrate 125 may be formed of a transparent substrate such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate (PC), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) , Polyether sulfone (PES), cyclic olefin polymer (COC), TAC (triacetylcellulose) film, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film, polyimide (PI) film, polystyrene (K resin-containing biaxially oriented PS (BOPS)), glass or tempered glass, and the substrate material is not limited to those listed above, and any substrate material having transparency can be used.

The first transparent electrode 122 and the second transparent electrode 124 may be formed of a transparent and conductive material. The first transparent electrode 122 and the second transparent electrode 124 are formed of an oxide of Zn, Cd, In, Ga, Sn and Ti, a compound of these materials, ITO (Indium Tin Oxide), FTO (fluorine doped tin oxide) , IZO (Indium Zinc Oxide), AZO (Aluminum Doped Zinc Oxide), GZO (Gallium Doped Zinc Oxide), graphene, and carbon nanotubes.

In one embodiment, the liquid crystal layer 123 may be formed of a polymer disperse liquid crystal (PDLC). The polymer matrix 123 (that is, the liquid crystal layer) in which the liquid crystal droplets 1231 are dispersed is formed by mixing a raw material of a polymer material cured by ultraviolet rays or heat with the liquid crystal 1232 and injecting it into a liquid crystal specimen and then exposing it to ultraviolet rays or heat . That is, when the raw materials of the polymer material are exposed to ultraviolet rays or heat to form a polymer, phase separation occurs with the liquid crystal 1232, and liquid crystal droplets 1231 may be formed between the polymer networks. The liquid crystal 1231 may be a nematic liquid crystal, a cholesteric liquid crystal, a smectic liquid crystal, a ferroelectric liquid crystal, or the like, but is not limited thereto

2A, when no driving power is applied, the liquid crystal 1232 in the liquid crystal droplet 1231 is arranged in an arbitrary direction, and a difference between the effective refractive index of the liquid crystal droplet 1231 and the refractive index of the polymer Whereby the incident light L1 can be scattered opaquely. Accordingly, when the driving power is not applied, the smart window 120 may have an opaque state.

2B, when the driving power is applied, the liquid crystals 1232 are aligned in one direction, the refractive indices of the liquid crystal droplets 1231 and the polymer become substantially equal to each other, and the incident light L2 is incident on the liquid crystal layer (123). Accordingly, when driving power is applied, the smart window 120 can have a transparent state.

In order to adjust the light transmittance of the smart window 120, one of the first transparent electrode 122 and the second transparent electrode 124 may be arranged in a patterned form.

3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a smart window included in the smart window device of FIG.

The smart window according to the present embodiment is the same as the smart window according to FIGS. 2A and 2B except for the configuration of the infrared ray reflection layer and the ultraviolet ray blocking layer, so that the overlapping description of the same or corresponding components will be omitted.

The smart window 220 is disposed on one transparent substrate 221, a first transparent electrode 222 disposed on the first transparent substrate 221, and a second transparent electrode 222 disposed on the first transparent electrode 222, A second transparent electrode 224 disposed on the liquid crystal layer 223, and a second transparent substrate 225 disposed on the second transparent electrode. The smart window 220 may further include an infrared reflecting layer 226 disposed between the first transparent substrate 221 and the first transparent electrode 222 and an ultraviolet blocking layer 227 disposed on the second transparent substrate 225 .

The infrared reflective layer 226 may be disposed between the first transparent substrate 221 and the first transparent electrode 222. In one embodiment, the infrared reflective layer 226 may be formed by laminating a plurality of refractive layers having different refractive indices. Specifically, the infrared ray reflective layer 226 may have a form in which a first refractive layer having one refractive index and a second refractive layer having a second refractive index lower than that of the first refractive layer are alternately laminated. The thickness of the infrared reflective layer 226 is not specified and the thickness of the infrared reflective layer 226 can be determined by adjusting the thicknesses of the first and second refractive layers to maintain the visible light transmittance.

In one embodiment, the infrared reflective layer 226 may comprise a transparent oxide material. For example, the first refraction layer may be formed of at least one selected from the group consisting of ZnO (refractive index 1.9 to 2.0), TiO2 (refractive index ~ 2.3), Ta2O5 (refractive index 2.1 to 2.3), fluorine tin oxide (FTO), antimony tin oxide (ATO) antimony tin oxide (ITO), indium tin oxide (ITO), and aluminum doped zinc oxide (AZO). The second refraction layer may be formed of SiO 2 (refractive index: 1.46) Al2O3 (refractive index of 1.6 to 1.9) or SiN (refractive index of 1.6). However, this is merely an example, and the material constituting the refractive layers is not limited thereto. That is, it is sufficient that the first refractive layer and the second refractive layer have refractive index difference of a constituent material (oxide) and the second refractive layer is formed of a material having a refractive index lower than that of the first refractive layer.

In addition, the infrared ray reflective layer 226 may include three or more refractive layers having different refractive indices from each other.

The ultraviolet blocking layer 227 may be disposed on the second transparent substrate 227. The ultraviolet blocking layer 227 can reflect or absorb ultraviolet rays from outside (energy conversion). In one embodiment, the UV blocking layer 227 may reflect light in the ultraviolet region, including ZnO, TiO2, and the like. In another embodiment, the ultraviolet barrier layer 227 may be a benzotriazole based derivative, a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) based high molecule, a polyethylene (PE) based polymer, a polypropylene (PP) Based polymer may be formed of one or more materials selected from the group consisting of polyolefin-series polymers.

As described above, the smart window 220 can reduce energy consumption for cooling and heating and energy consumption for illumination by simultaneously controlling ultraviolet ray blocking and infrared ray reflection as well as adjusting the transmittance of visible light.

4 is a block diagram showing another example of a smart window included in the smart window device of FIG.

The smart window according to the present embodiment is the same as the smart window according to FIG. 3 except for the configuration of the infrared ray reflection layer and the ultraviolet ray blocking layer, so that a duplicated description of the same or corresponding components will be omitted.

The smart window 320 is disposed on one transparent substrate 321, a first transparent electrode 322 disposed on the first transparent substrate 321, and a first transparent electrode 322, A second transparent electrode 324 disposed on the liquid crystal layer 323, and a second transparent substrate 325 disposed on the second transparent electrode. The smart window 320 may further include an infrared reflective layer 326 disposed on the second transparent substrate 326 and an ultraviolet blocking layer 327 disposed on the infrared reflective layer 326. [

Accordingly, it is possible to prevent ultraviolet rays and infrared rays from entering the interior of the building, etc., in which the smart window 320 is disposed, from the outside sunlight.

5A and 5B are views showing an example in which the smart window device of FIG. 1 is applied to a building.

Referring to FIGS. 5A and 5B, the transparency of the smart window can be adjusted according to conditions such as the temperature difference inside and outside the building, whether the lighting is cooled or not.

As a result of simulating the annual energy characteristics for small and medium sized office buildings, the thermal conductivity coefficient is 30% higher than that of general transparent glass, and 80% can be shielded when the smart window is opaque. In addition, the heat conduction rate is 20% lower than that of general transparent glass, which is effective in preventing heat loss. In addition, the air conditioning capacity can be reduced by about 14 to 26%, and the annual energy savings of the air conditioning system can be reduced by about 20.7%.

As described above, the smart window device according to the embodiments of the present invention can be developed as a construction window that does not require a curtain, a blind, etc., because it has a function of controlling ultraviolet ray blocking and infrared ray reflection as well as controlling the transmittance of visible light. In addition, lighting load, cooling and heating load and energy consumption of the room can be reduced.

However, the smart windows developed until now have been limited in use due to continuous changes in light transmittance, color problems, price problems, and durability problems. Therefore, it is necessary to continue research to solve these problems. As next-generation smart windows evolve into components of the building's room temperature control system, they are expected to have a direct impact on many industries such as HVC (heating and air-conditioning) products, blinds, curtains, shade manufacturing and lighting system manufacturing.

The present invention can be provided as a component of an indoor temperature control system such as a building, a transportation agency, and the like. It can also have a direct impact on many industries, such as air-conditioning and air-conditioning products, blinds, curtains, shade manufacturing, and lighting system manufacturing.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the following claims. It can be understood that it is possible.

100: Smart window device 120, 220, 320: Smart window
140: power supply unit 160:
121: first transparent substrate 122: first transparent electrode
123: liquid crystal layer 124: second transparent electrode
125: second transparent substrate 226, 326: infrared reflective layer
227, 327: ultraviolet barrier layer

Claims (9)

A smart window including a liquid crystal layer;
A power supply unit for applying driving power to the smart window to control the orientation of the liquid crystal layer; And
A controller for controlling the operation of the power supply unit based on at least one of the external illuminance and the room temperature. The method of claim 1, wherein the smart window
A first transparent substrate;
A first transparent electrode disposed on the first transparent substrate;
The liquid crystal layer disposed on the first transparent electrode to transmit or scatter light according to the orientation of the liquid crystal molecules;
A second transparent electrode disposed on the liquid crystal layer; And
And a second transparent substrate disposed on the second transparent electrode. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the smart window
Further comprising an infrared reflective layer disposed between the first substrate and the first transparent electrode. The smart window device of claim 3, wherein the infrared reflective layer comprises a transparent oxide material. The smart window device of claim 4, wherein the infrared reflective layer comprises a plurality of refractive layers having different refractive indices from each other. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the smart window
Further comprising an ultraviolet blocking layer disposed on the second transparent substrate or below the first transparent substrate. The smart window device as claimed in claim 1, wherein, when the external illuminance is equal to or less than a predetermined first reference value, the controller blocks the power supply unit from providing the driving power. 8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein when the outside illuminance exceeds the first reference and the room temperature exceeds a predetermined second reference, the control unit interrupts the power supply unit from providing the driving power Smart window device. 9. The smart window device according to claim 8, wherein when the outside illuminance exceeds the first reference and the room temperature is lower than a predetermined second reference, the control unit controls the power supply unit to provide the driving power. .

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