SBIR Phase II: Smart Solar Control Film

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第二期项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力将通过“智能”太阳能控制窗膜减少建筑物和汽车的能源消耗。太阳能加热的影响经常在阳光明媚的温暖日子里经历，当汽车的内部温度可以在几分钟内超过130°F。同样的太阳能加热，在夏天是这样一个讨厌的是非常希望在冬天。全国性的问题是，建筑物消耗了所有能源的41%以上（超过50%直接用于加热，冷却和照明），这导致了估计22.36亿公吨的温室气体。此外，目前80%的建筑物将在20年内存在，其中许多是低效和过时的。这就需要一种可改造的智能太阳能控制膜。安装智能太阳能控制膜的结果是，太阳的热量可以在需要时被利用，在不需要时被反射。安装这些高度透明的薄膜将在空间加热，冷却和照明方面节省大量能源。如果智能太阳能控制薄膜的实施，能源部估计，每年可以节省多达100亿BTU（100亿美元的成本节约）。这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目的重点是商业化一系列掺杂纳米陶瓷材料，这些材料表现出近室温的金属到绝缘体相变。物质组成的轻微变化在很宽的温度范围内产生显著可调的热致变色转变，填补了其作为智能太阳能控制窗膜部署的关键技术空白。在从低温/红外透明（类绝缘相）到高温/红外反射（类金属相）的转变过程中没有发生可见的变化，反之亦然。纳米材料还具有足够的稳定性、光学透明度，并且与膜中常用的聚合物相容。第二阶段的工作是优化物质的组成以达到最佳性能，并开发一种独特的在线纳米制造工艺，该工艺与可扩展的生产兼容，并实现更精确的控制。为了使这些材料正确地发挥作用，它们需要具有正确的元素组成，并且以正确尺寸的纳米颗粒的形式存在。这些薄膜将经过优化，然后在实验室和现场对其性能、稳定性、光学清晰度以及各种特定应用的性能要求进行彻底测试。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will reduce energy consumption in buildings and automobiles via 'smart' solar control window films. The effects of solar heating are frequently experienced on sunny warm days when the inside temperature of a car can exceed 130°F in minutes. The same solar heating that is such a nuisance in summer is very much desired in winter. The national problem is that buildings consume more than 41% of all energy produced (more than 50% directly for heating, cooling, and lighting) which leads to an estimated 2,236M metric tons of greenhouse gases. Additionally, 80% of buildings that exist today will exist in 20 years, many of which are inefficient and outdated. This necessitates a retrofittable smart solar control film. The consequence of installing smart solar control film is that the sun's warmth can be harnessed when it is needed and reflected away when it is unneeded. Installing these highly transparent films will have significant energy savings in space heating, cooling, and lighting. If smart solar control films are implemented, the Department of Energy estimates as much as 1.0 quadrillion BTUs ($10B in cost savings) can be saved annually.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project focuses on commercializing a family of doped nanoceramic materials that exhibit near-room temperature metal-to-insulator phase transitions. Slight changes to the composition of matter produce remarkably tunable thermochromic transitions over a broad range of temperatures, filling a key technological gap for their deployment as a smart solar control window film. No visible change occurs during the transition from the low-temperature/infrared transparent (insulating-like phase) to the high-temperature/infrared reflective (metal-like phase), and vice versa. The nanomaterials are also of sufficient stability, optical clarity, and compatible with commonly used polymers found in film. Phase II efforts address optimizing the composition of matter for peak performance and developing a unique in-line nanomanufacturing process compatible with scalable production and achieving more precise control. In order for these materials to perform correctly they need to be of the correct elemental composition and be in the form of nanoparticles of the correct size. The films will be optimized and then thoroughly tested in the laboratory and in the field for their performance, stability, optical clarity, and a wide variety of application-specific performance requirements.