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Marilyne Andersen and Leon Glicksman. Thuot, Kevin W. (Kevin William) Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering a-ja--- 2011-12-19T20:49:34Z 2011-12-19T20:49:34Z 2011 2011 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/67824 767831162 Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2011. Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. Includes bibliographical references (p. 177-180). Daylight is a valuable resource for both energy and human health. However, this resource is often underutilized in buildings due to the difficulty of controlling the changing qualities of daylight. Deep-plan building spaces pose an especially challenging problem because traditional sidelighting strategies are only effective for workplanes adjacent to the facade. Infrequently adjusted shading systems can also limit the availability of daylight. A number of advanced daylighting systems have been developed that attempt to address these challenges with varying priorities and success. This thesis proposes a new technology named the Soralux Daylighting System. The system is passive, requires no shading adjustments, even under direct sunlight, and works well with deep-plan spaces on the order of 8 to 15 m deep. The Soralux system presents itself as a double-glazing window unit, allowing it to be easily integrated into curtain wall facades typical of deep-plan offices in large cities. Computer simulations using the ray tracing programs Radiance and TracePro were conducted to estimate the annual performance of the system. Variables such as facade orientation, sky obstruction, and climate were evaluated for their effect on system performance. The system was found to increase light levels by a factor of 2 to 10 compared to an unshaded window at depths between 8 and 15 m from the facade. Two physical mockups of the Soralux system were fabricated for testing. The first mockup tested was a small proof-of-concept prototype, while the second was a full-scale mockup which was installed in a Tokyo office building. The physical mockups were used to evaluate visual comfort and appearance. A monitoring campaign was also conducted for the Tokyo mockup and the measured data were compared with a Radiance model of the building space to validate the accuracy of the simulation results. The average error between simulated and measured illuminance values was 16%. Based on these results, recommendations are provided identifying which scenarios are well-suited for the system. The Soralux Daylighting System is scheduled to be permanently installed into a Tokyo office building in 2012. by Kevin W. Thuot. S.M. 180 p. eng Massachusetts Institute of Technology M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission. http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582 Mechanical Engineering. The Soralux Daylighting System : passive solar illumination for deep-plan building spaces Passive solar illumination for deep-plan building spaces Thesis application/pdf false Publication unknown unknown <Publication xmlns="https://www.openaire.eu/cerif-profile/1.1/" id="6925c7a7-d8cf-41fc-9467-9459b37f4420"> <Type xmlns="https://www.openaire.eu/cerif-profile/vocab/COAR_Publication_Types">http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_1843</Type> <Language>eng</Language> <Title>The Soralux Daylighting System : passive solar illumination for deep-plan building spaces</Title> <Subtitle>Passive solar illumination for deep-plan building spaces</Subtitle> <PublishedIn> <Publication> </Publication> </PublishedIn> <PublicationDate>2011</PublicationDate> <Authors> <Author> <DisplayName>Thuot, Kevin W. (Kevin William)</DisplayName> <Affiliation> <OrgUnit> </OrgUnit> </Affiliation> </Author> </Authors> <Editors> </Editors> <Publishers> <Publisher> <DisplayName>Massachusetts Institute of Technology</DisplayName> <OrgUnit /> </Publisher> </Publishers> <License>http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582</License> <Keyword>Mechanical Engineering.</Keyword> <Abstract>Daylight is a valuable resource for both energy and human health. However, this resource is often underutilized in buildings due to the difficulty of controlling the changing qualities of daylight. Deep-plan building spaces pose an especially challenging problem because traditional sidelighting strategies are only effective for workplanes adjacent to the facade. Infrequently adjusted shading systems can also limit the availability of daylight. A number of advanced daylighting systems have been developed that attempt to address these challenges with varying priorities and success. This thesis proposes a new technology named the Soralux Daylighting System. The system is passive, requires no shading adjustments, even under direct sunlight, and works well with deep-plan spaces on the order of 8 to 15 m deep. The Soralux system presents itself as a double-glazing window unit, allowing it to be easily integrated into curtain wall facades typical of deep-plan offices in large cities. Computer simulations using the ray tracing programs Radiance and TracePro were conducted to estimate the annual performance of the system. Variables such as facade orientation, sky obstruction, and climate were evaluated for their effect on system performance. The system was found to increase light levels by a factor of 2 to 10 compared to an unshaded window at depths between 8 and 15 m from the facade. Two physical mockups of the Soralux system were fabricated for testing. The first mockup tested was a small proof-of-concept prototype, while the second was a full-scale mockup which was installed in a Tokyo office building. The physical mockups were used to evaluate visual comfort and appearance. A monitoring campaign was also conducted for the Tokyo mockup and the measured data were compared with a Radiance model of the building space to validate the accuracy of the simulation results. The average error between simulated and measured illuminance values was 16%. Based on these results, recommendations are provided identifying which scenarios are well-suited for the system. The Soralux Daylighting System is scheduled to be permanently installed into a Tokyo office building in 2012.</Abstract> <Access xmlns="http://purl.org/coar/access_right" > </Access> </Publication>