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Polar bear fur-inspired hollow nanofibers as a thermal insulating material for building radiation cooling

Author

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  • Li, Yunhe
  • Zhang, Xun
  • Chen, Yixiang
  • Zhang, Siqi
  • Liu, Yanghang
  • Yu, Dan
  • Wang, Wei

Abstract

The integration of insulation with passive radiant cooling systems has been considered an effective solution to address solar-induced thermal challenges in buildings. Inspired by polar bear's hollow fur, hollow nanofibers are prepared herein using a scalable coaxial electrospinning and the sacrificial template method, with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and polytetrafluoroethylene co-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP) selected as the inner core and outer shell, respectively. In addition, the hollow structure results in an increased specific surface area, thereby enhancing the scattering of sunlight and the emissivity of infrared radiation. The results indicate that the nanofibers have sufficient solar reflectance (90.97 %), infrared emissivity (97.77 %). Under an average solar irradiance of 794.49 W m−2, 20PFP5 achieves a cooling effect of 4.13 °C. 20PFP5 exhibits a low thermal conductivity of 0.0081 W· (m K) −1. The improved thermal insulation prevents an increase in ambient heat and reduces the cooling energy consumption without sacrificing the radiative cooling performance. In addition, 20PFP5 exhibits a modulus of elasticity of 81.32 MPa. This indicates that the insulated flexible radiant cooler has great potential for application. When the nanomembrane is utilized as the outer layer of a simulated building through EnergyPlus software, it can reduce energy consumption by up to 42.04 % throughout the year.

Suggested Citation

  • Li, Yunhe & Zhang, Xun & Chen, Yixiang & Zhang, Siqi & Liu, Yanghang & Yu, Dan & Wang, Wei, 2025. "Polar bear fur-inspired hollow nanofibers as a thermal insulating material for building radiation cooling," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 250(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:250:y:2025:i:c:s0960148125009772
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2025.123315
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    References listed on IDEAS

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