Lead PI: Professor Joseph WangCo-PIs: Prof. Renkun Chen, Prof. Sungho Jin,

Prof. Shirley Meng, Prof. Sheng Xu, Dr. Chulmin Choi and Irena Ilcheva

ARPA-E (DELTA) - DE-AR0000535 (May 1, 2015 – April 30, 2018)

DELTA Program Review, Raleigh, NC Janurary 17th & 18th, 2017

Adaptive Textile Technology with Adaptive Cooling and Heating (ATTACH)

ATTACH – A Unique Temperature Responsive TechnologyGoal: To develop an innovative and cost-effective personnel thermal management strategy by utilizing self-adaptive, temperature- or humidity-responsive shape-memory material with tunable thermal resistance, along with integrated flexible thermoelectric (TE) modules for active on-demand heating and cooling.

Benefits: Comfort with minimal power consumption and at least 4°F offset in HVAC setpoint in either direction resulting in more than 15% energy savings in building HVAC systems and 2% saving in domestic energy usage and GHG emissions if widely implemented.

Passive Shape-Memory Structures & Active Flexible SupportValue: Our project integrates several innovative components (based on advanced responsive materials) into a flexible wearable system, for replacing the traditional cooling and heating (of the entire room space) with a localized cooling/heating on a wearable textile structure close to the person’s skin.

Passive Shape-Memory Structures

• Thickness-changeable fabrics • Flap-openable fabrics• Responsive to temperature,

humidity, or both• Self-adaptive to environment• Tunable thermal resistance• No power consumption

Active Electronic and Thermoelectric Devices

• Responsive and rapid for targeted heating or cooling

• Bulk thermoelectric, ZT>1• Flexible & breathable matrix • At least 8hr operation• Light-weight & high-capacity• Flexible control circuitry

Integrated Solution

Results: Temperature Adaptive Textile [Passive]

Temperature Responsive

• On cooling, fabric gets thicker. On heating fabric gets thinner.

• ΔT of 10°C induces the insert material (a star structure) to change thickness by ~2 cm.

• Independent of humidity level.

• 2 mm change in air gap allows ~4°C worth of energy savings.

1cm

1cm

Humidity Responsive

• Humidity near the skin rises when a person begins to sweat.

• Relative humidity of 70% opens flaps 2 cm within 100s.

• Apparent temperature (accounts for humidity effect) dropped by 4°C within 60s.

• May be combined with temperature response.

Ambient T

TAT only

TAT+TEC

TAT TAT+TEC

①

②

Skin T

T cha

nge

(deg

F)

Time (sec)

Results: Flexible Thermoelectric Control [Active]Flexible and Breathable

Power Pack• Batteries, TEC, and other

circuitry required to be compliant as apparels are subjected to many cycles of bending motion during service.

• Size and volume fraction of pores, as well as the connectivity of pores (for air breathability) depend on the synthesis materials & processing.

• Multiple-cell pack with ~80 g total weight and ~1600 mAh total capacity for 8 hr operation of TEC.

Flexible and Breathable Thermo-Electric Component• Optimum configuration of

passive and active components has been simulated to show a synergistic heating/cooling effect.

• Small temperature variations: Passive portion can regulate body temperature sufficiently on its own.

• Large temperature variations: Passive and active components work together to maintain body comfort.

The UC San Diego/Nano SD team has accomplished both passive and active textiles that can regulate human body temperature and save building energy.

In Passive Textiles, 3 types of thermal adaptation have been demonstrated.

i. Thickness-changeable dual pane fabrics, with thickness change reaching 2 cm expansion (for decreasing temperature) or contraction (for increasing temperature). Equivalent ∆T effect of well over 4°C obtained passively.

ii. Flap-openable textiles with temperature-only activation (independent of humidity level) developed with the flap-open height change in the centimeter regime.

iii. Humidity-responsive flap openable textiles with ∆T effect of well over 4°C obtained passively.

In Active Textiles, thermoelectric cooler (TEC) devices with battery power pack designed for applications in which portions of apparel are constrained or the passive temperature control effect is saturated. • Mechanically compliant and air breathable matrix demonstrated, using clever circuit configurations and engineering

of matrix layer materials.• A combined (TEC + TAT) structure modeled and experimentally under construction, with a proper stacking sequence

identified.

Individually, the benefits of the passive and active portions of the textile have been validated and the combined synergy of the two systems has been simulated. Within the next 4 months (through Q8), the integrated package will be demonstrated as well.

Tech-to-Market activity is being vigorously pursued for rapid commercial applications of these technologies.

Summary

How Can DELTA & ARPA-E Help?

TIMELY COMMERCIALIZATION AND MARKETINGWe are taking an aggressive Tech-to-Market approach and looking to accelerate thedevelopment of our system, and to align our technology closely with the market needs(to ensure that it is compatible with common textile fabrics and daily activity).

Interested in: • Sponsor company/companies for ongoing research/commercialization and tech

transfer. • Additional resources to support and speed integration and commercialization of the

technology within NanoSD. • Additional market possibilities for passive, active, or combined systems.

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