Cavity wall construction with internal electrothermal layer

摘要

The wall consists of two parallel plates of material separated by an air space. The heating element consists of a layer of electrothermal material on or very close to the inner surface of one of the plates. The plates may be transparent. The electrothermal element is of the Peltier or Seebeck type. Temperature sensors inside and outside the wall are used to measure the temperature gradient across the wall and to vary the supply to the element. The plate not used for the electrothermal element can carry a mirror layer to reflect the heat back from the outside wall.