2022年職稱英語理工類教材新增部分內容(七)1Windowsnotonlyletlightintocutdownanelectricityuseforlighting,butthelightcomingthroughthewindowalsoprovidesheat.However,windowsarenotsomethingpeopletypicallyassociatewithbeingacuttingedge1technology.Researchersarenowworkingonnewtechnologiesthatenableawindowtoquicklychangefromcleartodarkandanywhereinbetweenwithaflipofaswitch2.

“Ittookusalongtimetofigureoutwhatawindowreallyis,”saysClaesGranqvist.He’saprofessorofsolid-statephysicsatUppsalaUniversityinSweden3.“It’scontactwiththeoutsideworld.Youhavetohavevisualcontactwiththesurroundingworldtofeelwell.”So,windowsandnaturallightareimportantforimprovingthewaypeoplefeelwhenthey’restuckindoors.

Yet,windowsaretheweaklinkinabuildingwhenitcomestoenergyandtemperaturecontrol.Inthewinter,coldairleaksin.Whenit’shotandsunny,sunlightstreamsin.Allofthissunlightcarrieslotsofheatandenergy.Andallofthisextraheatforcespeopletoturnontheirairconditioners.Producingblastsofcoldair,whichcanfeelsorefreshing,actuallysuckupenormousamountsofelectricityinbuildingsaroundtheworld.

Windowshavebeenamajorfocusofenergyresearchforalongtime.Overtheyears,scientistshavecomeupwithavarietyofstrategiesforcoating,glazing,andlayeringwindowstomakethemmoreenergyefficient.Smartwindowsgoastepfurther.Theyusechromogenictechnologieswhichinvolvechangesofcolor.

Electrochromicwindowsuseelectricitytochangecolor.Forexample,asheetofglasscoatedwiththinlayersofchemicalcompoundsuchastungstenoxideworksabitlikeabattery.Tungstenoxideisclearwhenanelectricchargeisappliedanddarkwhenthechargeisremoved,thatis,whentheamountofvoltageisdecreased,thewindowdarkensuntilit’scompletelydarkafterallelectricityistakenaway.Soapplyingavoltagedetermineswhetherthewindowlooksclearordark.

Oneimportantfeaturethatmakesasmartwindowsosmartisthatithasasortof“memory.”Allittakesisasmalljoltofvoltagetoturnthewindowfromonestatetotheother.Then,itstaysthatway.Transitionstakeanywherefrom10secondstoafewminutes,dependingonthesizeofthewindow.Thedevelopmentofsmartwindowscouldmeanthatmassiveairconditioningsystemsmaynolongerneed.“Inthefuture,”Granqvistsays,“ourbuildingsmaylookdifferent.

詞匯：

flipn.&v.用手指輕彈，輕擊

tungstenoxide氧化鎢

airconditioner空調（器）

joltn.&v.震搖，顛簸，晃動

refreshingadj.使人清爽的