SBIR Phase I: Thin Film Patterned Optical Retarders for Low Energy Smart Glass Applications

这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目将开发一种低成本的智能窗户技术。该项目将利用现代显示工业制造和加工技术来制造独特的大面积光学薄膜。这些薄膜随后将被用来建造节能的智能窗，根据命令调制光的传输或反射。用这种技术制造的窗户、天窗和其他玻璃窗将有能力在命令下变暗。在这个第一阶段的项目中，将从光学薄膜质量、对大面积和大批量生产的可扩展性、材料成本和原型操作等方面对三种制备薄膜的方法进行检查和比较。这些薄膜的成功制造将使智能窗户能够以完全被动的方式制造，简化现有窗户的安装，最大限度地降低前期成本，并最终减少能源账单。该项目的更广泛影响将是仅在美国就可能节省数十亿美元的能源成本。在美国，建筑物的用电量占总用电量的70%。作为采光/自然采暖战略的一部分，智能窗技术因其降低建筑能耗的能力而受到广泛关注。不幸的是，现有的智能窗口技术在寿命、可伸缩性和成本方面受到严重限制。将要开发的技术是一种与智能窗截然不同的方法，因为它使用稳定的薄膜，而不是电化学过程。这提供了更高的化学稳定性、更长的使用寿命、更好的制造可扩展性、电源独立性(手动操作)和更低的消费者成本。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop a low-cost smart-window technology. This project will utilize contemporary display industry fabrication and processing technologies to create unique large area optical films. These films will be subsequently used to construct energy efficient smart-windows that modulate transmission or reflection of light on command. Windows, skylights and other glazings made with this technology will have the ability to darken on command. In this Phase I project, three methods of creating the films will be examined and compared based on the optical film quality, scalability to large area and large volume production, material costs, and prototype operation. Successful fabrication of these films will enable smart-windows to be manufactured in a completely passive manner, simplifying their installation in existing windows, minimizing upfront costs and ultimately reducing energy bills. The broader impact of this project will be a potential savings of billions of dollars in energy costs in the United States alone. Buildings are responsible for seventy percent of the electricity consumed in the United States. As part of a daylighting /natural heating strategy, smart-window technologies have received much attention for their ability to reduce building energy consumption. Unfortunately, existing smart-window technologies suffer from severe limitations in lifespan, scalability and cost. The technology to be developed is a radically different approach to smart-windows because instead of electrochemical processes, it utilizes stable films. This affords more chemical stability, longer life, better manufacturing scalability, power independence (manual operation), and lower costs to the consumer.