ETFE Glazing Panel with Desiccant Frame for Condensation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing horticultural structures face challenges in installing ETFE plastic sheets as retrofits, requiring robustness for heat retention and light transfer while being lightweight for transport and easy to form, with issues of condensation and potential damage to the glazing foil.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight insulated glazing panel with a rigid frame supporting two layers of ETFE film, featuring a desiccant to absorb moisture, push-fit connections, and rounded edges to prevent damage, along with a central frame member for added rigidity and ease of installation, and isolator gaskets for thermal and physical protection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If ETFE plastic sheet is installed directly as a retrofit, then heat retention and light transfer performance are improved, but the panel becomes too heavy for easy transport and manipulation
Solution Approach 1:
The panel is divided into modular components: a rigid frame structure and separate ETFE film layers. This segmentation allows the heavy ETFE material to be supported by the frame while keeping individual panel units lightweight and manageable for transport and installation.
Solution Approach 2:
The panel uses a composite construction combining rigid frame materials (such as aluminum or steel) with flexible ETFE plastic film. This composite structure provides the necessary strength and light retention properties while maintaining overall lightweight characteristics compared to traditional glass panels.
2Ease of manufacture
If mechanical fixings are used in the frame, then assembly is simplified, but sharp edges are created that can damage the glazing foil
Solution Approach 1:
All frame edges and corners are rounded or curved to eliminate sharp edges that could damage the ETFE glazing foil. This curvature is applied throughout the frame structure, including at joint locations, to prevent localized stress concentration and material damage while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
Protective elements such as rubber gaskets, foam padding, or protective coatings are introduced as intermediary layers between the frame and the ETFE film. These intermediaries absorb potential mechanical damage and prevent direct contact between sharp frame edges and the fragile glazing material.
3Strength
If the frame is made solid for structural strength, then rigidity is improved, but weight increases making transport and installation difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The frame utilizes thin-walled hollow sections rather than solid construction. These hollow profiles provide sufficient structural rigidity and strength while minimizing material usage and weight. The hollow design maintains structural integrity for supporting the ETFE film while being lightweight enough for easy transport and manual installation.
4Stability of the object's composition
If condensation occurs within the frame, then structural integrity is maintained, but UV light transfer is inhibited by fogging
Solution Approach 1:
Desiccant materials are introduced as an intermediary substance within the frame structure to absorb and remove moisture. These desiccants prevent condensation formation by actively absorbing water vapor, thereby maintaining clear visibility and UV light transmission through the ETFE film while preserving structural integrity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides improved light transmission, reduced energy consumption, enhanced safety by preventing shattering, and easier installation, while maintaining structural integrity and minimizing condensation, leading to healthier plant growth and reduced environmental impact.
Implementation Method 1
The frame 2 also generally includes a desiccant 8 to absorb moisture such that an inner void 9 of the frame 2 does not fog
Implementation Method 2
The glass or plastic sheet or panel essentially allow transmission of UV light and capture of warmth such that plant growth and fruiting is promoted
Implementation Method 3
The glass or plastic sheet or panel essentially allow transmission of UV light and capture of warmth
Implementation Method 4
These gaskets 6, 12, 13, also isolate the foil 3 from the frame 2 to reduce thermal conduction through the perimeter frame 2
Data Source
AI summary
A panel for an agricultural structure, the panel comprising a frame with at least one film sheet joined together alone one edge to form a tube or loop around the frame and shrunk around that frame whereby to a desired extent at ambient temperatures for tension after exposure to a pre-determined combination of temperature and exposure time duration.