TY - JOUR
T1 - Mechanics of smart origami sunscreens with energy harvesting ability
AU - Miranda, Raffaele
AU - Babilio, Enrico
AU - Singh, Narinder
AU - Santos, Filipe
AU - Fraternali, Fernando
PY - 2020/4
Y1 - 2020/4
N2 - Recent studies have investigated the use of origami sunscreens with tensegrity architecture for the design of active solar façades of energy efficient buildings. This paper presents a mechanical study on the dynamic response of shading screens that are formed by origami panels activated trough the tensioning and relaxation of selected strings. The basic module of the examined screens includes tensegrity units with displacement amplification properties that are equipped with piezoelectric cables. A numerical procedure for the simulation of the dynamic response of the examined sunscreens under arbitrary loading is formulated. The proposed model is employed to study the actuation motion exhibited by the elementary origami module, and its vibrations under the action of wind forces. The peculiar ability of tensegrity shading systems to harvest the mechanical energy stored in the strings is investigated, by drawing comparison with the energy harvesting abilities of photovoltaic panels and microeolic turbines.
AB - Recent studies have investigated the use of origami sunscreens with tensegrity architecture for the design of active solar façades of energy efficient buildings. This paper presents a mechanical study on the dynamic response of shading screens that are formed by origami panels activated trough the tensioning and relaxation of selected strings. The basic module of the examined screens includes tensegrity units with displacement amplification properties that are equipped with piezoelectric cables. A numerical procedure for the simulation of the dynamic response of the examined sunscreens under arbitrary loading is formulated. The proposed model is employed to study the actuation motion exhibited by the elementary origami module, and its vibrations under the action of wind forces. The peculiar ability of tensegrity shading systems to harvest the mechanical energy stored in the strings is investigated, by drawing comparison with the energy harvesting abilities of photovoltaic panels and microeolic turbines.
KW - Dynamic solar façades
KW - Energy efficient buildings
KW - Energy harvesting
KW - Tensegrity structures
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85083001459&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.mechrescom.2020.103503
DO - 10.1016/j.mechrescom.2020.103503
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85083001459
VL - 105
JO - Mechanics Research Communications
JF - Mechanics Research Communications
SN - 0093-6413
M1 - 103503
ER -