ABSTRACT
Radiative cooling power was computed as a function of the emittance c, of an exposed surface, air temperature, humidity, etc. from the LOWTRAN 5 code. Meteorological data were then used to make semiquantitative estimates on how often frost will form on a surface with given epsilon(s). Practical tests, using SnO(2)-covered glass with epsilon(s) approximately 0.2, demonstrated that a low-emittance coating can prevent frost formation and maintain transparency of a window exposed to the clear sky.
ABSTRACT
The visual appearance of antireflection-coated transparent and heat-reflecting indium-tin-oxide (ITO) films on glass was studied by a colorimetric analysis in which the chromaticity coordinates for transmitted and reflected daylight were evaluated for various film thicknesses. A color purity of <1% in normal transmission and <10% in normal reflection could be achieved with ITO thicknesses in the 220-260- or 335-365-nm ranges and MgF2 thicknesses in the 90-105-nm range. These design criteria yield very efficient window coatings with high visual transmittance, low thermal emittance, and little or no perceived color.
