Phase 02: Smart Materials: characteristics, responses, and applications

Assignment 2.2

You will focus on engineered and scientific applications of smart materials and their use as smart products, and on their effects and actions on high performance building envelopes.
The analysis of design, engineering and manufacturing constraints related to emerging materials are linked to case studies of innovative skin/cladding/surface solutions within an integrated building envelope/assembly of components and systems.

Accordingly to your interests, you will link academic research with the practical experience of fabrication’s methods and techniques, opening up a dialog with the industry and the latest technologies applied to smart materials.
You are expected to contact leading academic figures and researchers in order to share updated information, but also companies and manufacturers to collect material samples and a variety of data on existing and/or future products and architectures.

Particularly, you will be involved with:

- 3D performance simulations, 3D modeling of your multi-layered building envelope;

Additionally, Construction IV Students will have to produce:

- Digital mock-ups/prototypes in appropriate scale;
- Technical drawings with a clear understanding of the building components and building systems.


Due November 16th, 2010

Phase 02: Smart Materials: characteristics, responses, and applications

Assignment 2.1

As we already read, smart materials can be defined within two typologies:

SM – Type 1: Property changing-Intrinsic response variation of material to specific internal or external stimuli (Thermochromic, Magnetorheological, Thermotropic, Shape memory):

SM – Type 2: Energy exchanging- responses can be computationally controlled or enhanced (Photovoltaic, Thermoelectric, Piezoelectric, Photoluminescent, and Electrostrictive)

SM1-Input energy (stimulus field) causes changes at the materials’ molecular level which results in property changes. For Ex. Thermal energy causes thermochromics to change colors. The output is a property changed response, new material property.

SM2-Input energy changed to a different form. Energy-exchanging. For ex. Piezoelectric materials (convert mechanical energy-deformation by a force- into electrical energy and vice-versa)

We will try to explore more about:
- How SMs function, how they act and for what purpose (dependent on the material composition);
- What do we want SMs to do?
- Which information do I need to know in order to control and influence the SM response?


SM1-Property-changing:
- Color-changing (photochromics-color+light - photochromics films; thermocromics-color+temperature; mechanochromics-color+deformations; chemochromics-color+chemical environments; electrochromics-color+voltage-liquid crystals). Larger association: transparency and color change; translucency, reflectivity, Dichroic materials (in glasses and films, colors may change accordingly to the angle of view); Photochromic Glass;
- Polymeric products: filaments, strands, films, sheets. Radiant color film; Radiant mirror film; Image redirection film;
- Phase-changing (gas, liquid or solid state that changes when temperature or pressure changes);
- Smart conductors (for ex. conducting Polymers);
- Smart fabrics.

SM2-Energy-exchanging:
- Photovoltaic technologies (energy input, electricity output);
- Light Emitting materials: Light Emitting Diodes (LED-OLED- energy input, voltage output); Light-emitting Polymers;
- Piezoelectric materials (piezo=pressure in Greek; the pressure-mechanical energy (inducing deformation) is converted to electrical energy and vice-versa); Piezoelectric Films;
- Shape memory alloys. For ex. Nitinol (the material can be deformed but remembers its original shape-temperature application).


You are to conceive the study of a polyvalent smart envelope as a system of different layers: structure, skin, smart material application, and, in some cases, sensors and actuators.


Readings:

Michelle Addington, Daniel Schodek: Smart Materials and Technologies, Architectural Press, 2005
Chapter 4, Chapter 5.1 (pag.115-126), Chapter 7

Mori, T.: Immaterial/Ultramaterial: Architecture, Design and Materials, W. W. Norton & Co. Inc., 2002

Schodek, D., Bechthold, M., Griggs, K., Kao, K., Steinberg, M.: Digital Design and Manufacturing: CAD/CAM Applications in Architecture. NY 2004, John Wiley and Sons.