PROJECTS

The project EvaporCork aims to develop a new passive evaporative systems of facades covered with ICB, capable of promoting cooling of buildings and mitigate the urban heat island effect phenomenon. 

SCOPE

In last decades, it has been noticed that climate changes impacts led to increase the cooling needs of buildings. However, with the difficulties to restrict the urban population growing, an improvement of the surface building materials properties it is a way to reduce the urban heat island effect.

The project that is designated as EvaporCork is based in the development of a new passive evaporative systems, capable of promoting cooling of buildings facades covered with insulation cork boards (ICB). This system will also allow to reduce the phenomenon of urban heat island in cities from hot and dry countries, broadening the range of opportunities of appreciation of the ICB coatings.

MAIN OBJECTIVES

• Development of a new passive evaporative system, capable to promote the cooling of facades covered with expanded cork agglomerate (ICB);
• Design of an automated irrigation system for moistening/wetting of ICB;
• Incorporation of a rainwater harvesting system;
• Study the feasibility of the system to integrate sensors to detect and mitigate fire development.

PROJECT ACTIVITIES AND EXPECTED RESULTS

• Preliminary studies
  This activity aims to gather and systematize new knowledges that will be used as guidelines for the development of the new system
• Development of the system
  This activity aims to define/design and develop the new passive evaporative cooling system, defining all of its components and respective technical characteristics.
• Fabric approach
  This activity aims to analyse and adapt the current lines of manufacturing to allow the production of the system under development.
• System validation
  This activity aims to validate the system performance as a whole.
• Dissemination
  This activity will comprise a set of actions with the aim to promote and disseminate the results of the project and the final developed solutions. The dissemination will be performed using the common channels, such as seminars and conferences, technical and scientific publications and technological fairs and in this case a prototype demonstrator.