Wouldn’t it be nice to cut your energy costs to a new low? It seems fictional, but it is now possible with the help of this new table that uses the underlying wax works to do the work of heaters and air conditioners. But how can it all be possible?
A house is heated or cooled by the gain or loss of heat respectively. Alternatively, we can also store the excessive heat when it is warm and let it out when it is cold. But, to do that we need some material that can absorb the heat when the temperature is warm and release the heat when the temperature is cool. The hidden deposit of wax present at the bottom of table is the key to this table’s functionality.
This table is a unique approach to the zero-energy concept as previous ones emphasized more on the structural and material aspects of the building. This new philosophy of wax table provides a low-cost alternative in the form of a furniture scale that is cheaper, and it can prove to be more effective. The table has several rows of Aluminum at the bottom that support a phase changing wax material in them. When the temperature exceeds the normal room temperature, i.e., 22-degree centigrade, the wax starts absorbing heat, and it melts. In this way, the excessive heat is removed from the ambient air of the room. When the temperature lowers below 22, the wax starts to solidify again, thereby making the room warmer. So, in theory, the room will hover around the 22 mark at all times.
In practice, that will be difficult to achieve as the amount of heat entering houses is far too much and the maintaining the equilibrium will be a challenge. Forced convection could be used to enhance its operation. It is calculated that the table can reduce the cost of heating up to 60 percent while the cost of cooling can be reduced by 30 percent.
It is best for a room that has a fluctuating temperature. The creators of the zero energy table displayed the new product at Milan Design Week to much enthusiastic response. However, there is no word on when the table will be available for commercial sale. A pretty cool concept, isn’t it? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.