Specialty Fabrics Review October 2021 - 56

[ MARKETS ] INDUSTRY IN FOCUS
here is to offer protection against the
sun and other weather conditions,
while harnessing and storing heat
from the sun for later use.
Polar bear fur is colorless, but
appears white as it reflects the sun.
The hairs transmit some of this
sunlight to a bear's black epidermis,
where the solar radiation is converted
into thermal energy.
Similarly, DITF's membrane takes
 Known as the " polar bear pavilion, " this structure was built at the Institute of Textile
Technology and Process Engineering (ITV) Denkendorf as part of a joint research project
with industry partners demonstrating the possibilities for a textile membrane building to
be energy autonomous and offer a futuristic architecture. Photo: DITF.
sunlight as it hits a flexible solar
collector through which air is flowing.
Echoing the skin of the polar bear, the
bottom layer is a black-coated fabric
that acts as an absorber of the energy,
withstanding temperatures in excess of
140 degrees (F). An air-bearing spacer
fabric is used for the highly transparent
middle layer, providing thermal
insulation. The outermost layers
increase the thermal insulation further
while allowing sunlight to penetrate,
reducing the need for artificial light.
The membrane has been trialed in
Harnessing energy
from shade has
focused strongly on
solar, but there is an
increasing interest in
the potential of wind.
into 18 individual nets. The ETFE
panels use a 65 percent frit pattern
that provides shelter against direct
sun and reduces solar gain without
inhibiting natural light. The ability
of the roof panels to open and close
helps to promote natural airflow
and cooling within the stadium.
Situated on the flight path to the
Los Angeles International Airport,
the stadium features 28,000 V-Pix LED
lights on the roof to create a 13-acre
high-resolution video display when
viewed from above. The stadium is
truly performance, sustainability
and spectacle combined.
Inspired by nature
The German Institutes of Textile and
Fiber Research (DITF) have developed
an energy-efficient membrane that is
inspired by biomimicry-specifically
the fur of the polar bear. The intention
56 SPECIALTY FABRICS REVIEW / October 2021
a " polar bear pavilion, " with five
flexible solar collector tracks on the
south-facing side. These generate
warm air that is fed through to heat
the interior of the building.
Harvesting wind energy
Harnessing energy from shade has
focused strongly on solar, but there is
an increasing interest in the potential
of wind. Aeroelastic vibration is
usually associated with the aircraft
industry and relates to the interaction
of aerodynamic, inertial and elastic
forces that occur during the movement
of air and a flexible aircraft.
Researchers Hoyoung Maeng
and Kyung Hoon Hyun at Hanyang
University in South Korea are
exploring the potential of tensile
membrane architecture (TMA) as
a means of harnessing vibrationgenerated
energy. The intention of this

Specialty Fabrics Review October 2021

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