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Fluidized Glazing & Cladding;
Ultra Low Energy Buildings

McKEE FLUIDIZED GLAZING & CLADDING  SYSTEM
For ULTRA LOW ENERGY BUILDINGS
By Dr. Frederick B. McKee


To begin with I will endeavor to establish an extremely important fact that completely distinguishes Fluidized structures and systems from ordinary fenestration and cladding structures:-
The distinction between Active and Passive devices.
It is essential that this distinction and the McKee Area Dilution Principle ("MADP"
to be explained shortly) is fully understood. Without this understanding  the whole concept of Fluidized systems,  it's  simplicity and  revolutionary benefits for the construction industry  and the planet may be missed.

1  Conventional fenestration & cladding:-  Passive  devices and structures
Conventional window devices are passive in there action, a window's action in modifying the light or energy transmission into a building is an instantaneous action, not influenced by recent history or more importantly by the conditions being experienced by similar windows in other facades. i.e. The dynamic characteristics of a window in a south facing facade cannot be influenced by windows in other facades.
Most modern advanced windows utilize selective coatings that reflect energy away whether required or not.

2.  Fluidized Glazing & Cladding 
Basically a fluid contained between two sheets of glass or other suitable material, the "fluidized structure", with means for moving the fluid amongst other similar fluidized structures on other areas of the building and or to fluid storage tanks so that energy may be  moved  in any direction amongst the tanks and the fluidized facades.  See Figure 2.

2.1  Active devices  and systems
The thermal and radiative characteristics of a fluidized window are therefore very much influenced by the other fluidized windows on the same facade and more importantly by those on other facades, windows in different locations and different local ambient conditions.
The facade in warmth and sunshine may warm the facades  in cool and shade by virtue of the fluid being pumped around all facades i.e. Locationally Active facades or active windows. But may still be regarded as acting practically instantaneously (within the same few 10's of minutes of each other).

No other glazing device or system can do this.

2.2  Connection to thermal storage capacity
When the facade fluid system is connected to an energy storage  device and or to the interior of the building via heat exchangers the resultant system is both locationally and temporally active.
This is the most important aspect of the McKee Fluidized Glazing & Cladding system for the environmental control of buildings.
It is this that enables a building using the McKee system to be kept at a comfortable and constant interior temperature in summer and winter WITHOUT requiring any other cooling or heating, except during very extreme conditions.

An enormous  on-going energy saving compared with conventional building technology.
An energy requirement of only 2 to 5 % of that of a conventional building, basically only the energy to run the fluid pumps and control valves, which could be supplied by solar photo-voltaic units.  Only 2 to 5 % fossil fuel requirement compared with a conventional building.

3  Gains and losses relating to buildings
The impinging direct solar energy and therefore the solar gain into the building occurs for about 12 hours a day with  maxima determined by Solar Apparent Time  (S.A.T.) and the orientation of the structure, to only surfaces facing within about 40 deg. of the general direction of the sun, an azimuthal/ time variation.
Internal gains from people, equipment PC's, lights depend on the type of use and occupancy of the  building.

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