What's up with new COOLING FIBERS ?  Might be useful in electronics. - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: RJSV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2023, 04:48:30 pm
content: I'm seeing various TV advertisements, featuring newly developed cloth fibers that offer a cooling function. Such as bed linens.As I start searching about that subject, has anyone else contemplated various applications, for cooling in electronics industry?Might be useful...(?)

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2023, 05:02:30 pm
content: do you mean copper weave? if notwhat comes up on google is basically the same tech as used for heat pipes. If you mean open air diffusion cooling systems, then maybe water-side solar panel systems could benefit from that tech, to increase panel efficiency. But the problem is also water scarcity, these systems need fresh water, and that is precious... it means evaporation and that means you get fresh water going into the seas. It may be useful if its gated, so the panel is not continuously drawing water, but only when its too hot to manage efficiency. Salt water based systems would be different, but I suspect there would be huge salt deposition problems. And with fresh water you have organic growth problems that need to be solved, and not easily (i.e. you can't risk poisoning the water source). Basically the benefit is that it does not need a pump for cooling water and it wicks. Ganges river comes to mind.Heat pipes are huge and probobly will grow as people figure out efficient implementations of them in various thermal systems.https://www.newark.com/aavid-thermalloy/057455/heat-pipe-discovery-kit/dp/92Y4263

author: RJSV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2023, 06:28:11 pm
content: Copper Weave seems to be helpful for sleep time, when person gets overheated. Makes sense.A quick search brought up mostly traditional fiber types, in bedding mostly, but the COPPER WEAVE also seems to have various uses, in hair braids, etc.Thanks for response.

author: RJSV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2023, 06:32:39 pm
content: ...But what mechanism does cooling affect solar panel's efficiency ? (coppercone2), thanks, Did you mean hot water heating panels, or voltaic ?

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2023, 07:31:02 pm
content: they run better when they are cold, for instance someone developed white solar panel prototypes that heat less from the sun. Its just a circuit where the increase in temp makes more ESRSo you could water cool them, but usually the pump electricity and plumbing makes this non economical. Passive cooling with wicking action near water increases efficiency but water evaporates, meaning you are wasting fresh water. Salt water will corrode/cake up stuff and its very difficult to use. the wick is appealing because no pump or plumbing, and if you did it to sea water, I guess you would actually get more rain and replenish fresh water maybe, but water vapor is also a green house gas I think (need to explore ramifications), and it would depend on where it rains. I think its dismal and very situational unless you figure out a good way to use salt water to cool panels.dip a rag in salt water and let it out to dry, you get a nasty POS at the end

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2023, 08:05:45 pm
content: Subscribed. I have terrible problems with head overheating at night.

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2023, 08:10:39 pm
content: I read about some hygroscopic material that can be applied to the back side of solar panels. Every night, it absorbs moisture from the air for evaporative cooling the next day.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 19, 2023, 09:57:19 pm
content: they also might make startrek actors comfortable for the first time in their lives, when the ridiculous costumes do not make them sweat. Sometimes I wonder about picards arm pits, their set to stun.

author: Someone
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 20, 2023, 09:33:55 am
content: Quote from: RJHayward on February 19, 2023, 04:48:30 pmYou'll need to point to the actual products to avoid the wild speculation this thread has so far produced. Pretty much all consumer "cooling" textiles are highly breathable and/or capillary wicking, the cooling comes from evaporating peoples sweat faster. Been around for what, 40+ years?