Physics of multidisciplinary investigations related to energy saving and electromagnetic pollution

A. Optical and thermal properties of materials related to energy saving in buildings

Optical properties: emissivity in the thermal infrared

In the UK, he was one of only two university-based investigators , who participated in an intercomparison study, , http://opensigle.inist.fr/handle/10068/687953 , financed by BCR and involving the national reference laboratories of UK, Germany, Holland and Italy, to measure the emissivity of uncoated and low-e glass in the thermal infrared, http://iopscience.iop.org/0295-5075/16/6/006.

At the Technical University of Crete, Greece , he has developed a simplified method and apparatus for the determination of emissivity of opaque materials in the thermal infra red http://www.springerlink.com/content/g0n1304n7q828824/ .

Thermal properties: coefficient of thermal conductivity

Recently, at the Technical University of Crete, he has developed an accurate experimental method and apparatus for the determination, analytically, of the coefficient of thermal conductivity of ‘green’ building materials for thermal insulation, http://www.centrodaterra.org/uploads/media/MEDITERRA_2009.pdf

Such materials are the focus of renewed interest, for their application in energy saving. Accurate measurements of the coefficient of thermal conductivity are required in order to determine the optimum mineral composition for the soil. Our preliminary results show the coefficient to depend on soil composition and the above novel experimental technique will be used to investigate this dependence.

B. Microwave radiation of mobile phones

Recently, at the Technical University of Crete, he has been investigating thermal effects due to the microwave radiation mobile phones emit (ie the rise in temperature produced to materials near the phone , e g human tissue, which absorb the microwaves). Current safety limits for mobile phones are wholly based on the thermal effect. The results confirm insignificant temperature rise. On the other hand it has been suggested theoretically that the magnitude of the electric field inside the tissue cells depends on its orientation outside. It is the orientation of the microwave electric field that is being investigated in this work.

C. Natural radioactivity of green building materials

Natural radioactivity of materials is not included in the specifications of commercially available building products, although it constitutes a significant health parameter especially for ecological applications. In particular it is important to know the level of probable exposure of humans to radiation due to the presence of radioactive element potassium-40, which coexists (in constant proportion) with the usual non radioactive potassium-39 in minerals. Significant variation in the radioactivity among various types of soils is found in this work, with some likely to reach or exceed recommended levels of dose to humans.