SBIR Phase II: Ambient-Pressure Plasma Degassing for Low Cost Vacuum Glass

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第二阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是使用真空中空玻璃显着减少全球碳排放。真空玻璃就像一个扁平透明的暖水瓶，用于窗户。真空玻璃的热损失比三层玻璃少三倍，但制造成本不高。 这一颠覆性的价值主张将推动快速的市场渗透，无论能源价格如何，也不需要政府补贴。 该项目将生产真空中空玻璃，使R-10窗口，符合DOE Windows路线图的目标和时间表。 直接的好处包括改善居住者的舒适度和减少取暖费，而不会使恒温器倒退。此外，真空窗户将永远无冷凝和无雾。潜在的影响是巨大的。建筑物占美国碳排放总量的40%。接近普遍使用可以减少美国总能源使用量的3%（约3夸脱BTU/年），同时不增加基础设施建设成本。德国、日本、澳大利亚、中国和俄罗斯都有真空玻璃的开发计划;该项目的成功开发将确保美国在该技术的科学和技术前沿，并参与一个庞大且不断增长的市场。该项目将开发使用等离子体脱气，以实现超过20年的真空寿命，这是私人投资的条件。如果没有充分的脱气，附着在内表面上的水分会在密封时被截留。被困的湿气分子稍后会释气，导致真空衰减。传统的高温烘烤对于可负担得起的真空玻璃来说太昂贵了。烘烤需要几个小时，但等离子脱气需要几分钟。德国的真空玻璃开发工作尝试在真空下进行等离子体脱气，但效率低下。相比之下，该项目将使用大气压等离子体脱气，这既快又便宜。在第一阶段项目中吸取的经验教训的基础上，将制定等离子体处理协议，以生产高达平均住宅窗户尺寸25%的VIG窗格。 与此同时，劳伦斯伯克利国家实验室将致力于优化设计的绝缘性能，以实现DOE Windows Roadmap的R-10窗口。此后，将组装一条集成的中试生产线，能够生产适用于有意义的改造项目的真空玻璃单元。最后，国家可再生能源实验室将进行加速寿命测试。独立的生命数据，加上成功运行的试验线路，将有助于获得商业化的私人投资。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is in significantly reducing global carbon emissions using vacuum insulating glass. Vacuum glass is like a flat and transparent thermos bottle for windows. Vacuum glass has three times less heat loss than triple pane glass but costs no more to manufacture. This disruptive value proposition will drive rapid market penetration, regardless of energy price, and without the need for government subsidy. This project will produce vacuum insulating glass that will enable R-10 windows, consistent with the goals and schedule of the DOE Windows Roadmap. Immediate benefits include improved occupant comfort and reduced heating bills without thermostat setback. Furthermore, vacuum windows will be condensation-free and fog-free forever. The potential impact is huge. Buildings represent 40% of total U.S. carbon emissions. Near-universal use could reduce total U.S. energy use by 3% (about 3 quadrillion BTU/year), while adding no cost to building infrastructure. Germany, Japan, Australia, China, and Russia have vacuum glass development programs; a successful development under this project will ensure that the U.S. stays at the scientific and technological forefront of this technology, and participates in a large and growing market.This project will develop the use of plasma degassing to achieve a vacuum life beyond 20 years, a condition for private investment. Without adequate degassing, moisture attached to internal surfaces is trapped at the time of seal-off. Trapped moisture molecules will later outgas, causing vacuum decay. Traditional high-temperature bakeout is too costly for affordable vacuum glass. Bakeout takes hours, but plasma degassing takes minutes. A German vacuum glass development effort tried plasma degassing under vacuum, which is inefficient. In contrast, this project will use atmospheric pressure plasma degassing, which is both faster and cheaper. Building on lessons learned during the Phase I project, a plasma treatment protocol will be developed to produce VIG panes as large as 25% of the average residential window size. Working in parallel, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory will work to optimize the insulating performance of the design to enable an R-10 window for the DOE Windows Roadmap. Thereafter, an integrated pilot line will be assembled, able to produce vacuum glass units suitable for meaningful retrofit projects. Finally, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory will conduct accelerated life testing. Independent life data, combined with a successful operating pilot line, will help secure private investment for commercialization.