STTR Phase I: Monolithic Aerogel Designs for Daylighting Applications

STTR 第一阶段：用于采光应用的整体式气凝胶设计

• 批准号: 2025800
• 负责人: John Costa
• 金额: $ 25.6万
• 依托单位: Sunthru LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-08-01 至 2022-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2025800&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: STTR; Phase; Monolithic; Aerogel; Designs

The broader impact of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project is in the use of aerogels in daylighting applications to efficiently incorporate natural lighting in building design, benefitting society by significantly decreasing energy consumption and simultaneously improving environments. Natural light is linked to health and productivity The daylighting market ascribes high value to natural light transmission, optical clarity, and thermal insulation; however, existing products generally fail to achieve all three. The proposed technology decouples thermal performance from window clarity, allowing end users to experience the benefits of increased natural light without being resigned to low translucency or high heat or cooling loss. This solution will provide the benefits of natural lighting while improving overall energy efficiency in buildings. As a direct result, architects and glazing contractors will not be limited by thermal considerations when adding windows to structures. Further, it addresses a need for windows that are acoustically insulating.The intellectual merit of this STTR Phase I project lies in the combination of a proprietary design with a licensed aerogel fabrication method to yield a transformative, elegant window product that promotes natural lighting and reduces energy waste. Silica aerogel monoliths have outstanding insulating ability and superior optical properties to materials currently used in daylighting products; however, traditional methods for making monolithic aerogels are time- and labor-intensive. The patented fabrication method employed in this project is advantageous for several reasons, including ease of automation, speed of processing and production of consistent monolithic aerogels, and offers an alternative to existing daylighting solutions with the potential to transform a generally stagnant industry. To mitigate the risks associated with bringing an aerogel window product to market, this project focuses on: (1) improving aerogel molding technology; (2) developing a proprietary innovation to build larger systems; (3) experimenting with dye-doped and etched aerogels for tailored aesthetic effects; (4) fabricating aerogels for two prototype windows (one colorless, one aesthetically enhanced); (5) developing a simplified window assembly method to fabricate two prototype windows; and (6) studying the aerogel precursor supply chain and use of alternative chemistries.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

这个小企业技术转让（STTR）第一阶段项目的更广泛影响是在日光照明应用中使用气凝胶，以有效地将自然照明纳入建筑设计，通过显着降低能源消耗并同时改善环境来造福社会。自然光与健康和生产力息息相关日光照明市场对自然光透射率、光学清晰度和隔热性赋予了很高的价值;然而，现有的产品通常无法实现这三个目标。该技术从窗户清晰度方面提升了热性能，使最终用户能够体验到增加自然光的好处，而不会屈服于低透明度或高热量或冷却损失。该解决方案将提供自然照明的好处，同时提高建筑物的整体能源效率。直接的结果是，建筑师和玻璃承包商在为结构添加窗户时不会受到热因素的限制。STTR第一阶段项目的智慧价值在于将专有设计与许可的气凝胶制造方法相结合，以产生一种变革性的、优雅的窗户产品，促进自然采光并减少能源浪费。二氧化硅气凝胶整料具有出色的绝缘能力和比目前用于日光照明产品的材料优越的上级光学性能;然而，用于制备整料气凝胶的传统方法是时间和劳动密集型的。该项目中采用的专利制造方法具有多种优势，包括易于自动化，加工速度和一致的单片气凝胶的生产，并提供了现有日光照明解决方案的替代方案，有可能改变一个普遍停滞的行业。为了降低将气凝胶窗户产品推向市场的相关风险，该项目侧重于：（1）改进气凝胶成型技术;（2）开发专有创新以构建更大的系统;（3）试验染料掺杂和蚀刻气凝胶，以实现定制的美学效果;（4）为两个原型窗户制造气凝胶。（一种无色，一种美观）;（5）开发简化的窗户组装方法以制造两个原型窗户;以及（6）研究气凝胶前体供应链和替代化学品的使用。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估。

项目成果

Aesthetic Aerogel Window Design for Sustainable Buildings

• DOI: 10.3390/su14052887
• 发表时间: 2022-03-01
• 期刊: SUSTAINABILITY
• 影响因子: 3.9
• 作者: Carroll, Mary K.;Anderson, Ann M.;Capron, Margeaux
• 通讯作者: Capron, Margeaux

Twenty years of aerogel research at an undergraduate institution

• DOI: 10.1007/s10971-022-06034-1
• 发表时间: 2023-02-04
• 期刊: JOURNAL OF SOL-GEL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
• 影响因子: 2.5
• 作者: Carroll，Mary K.;Anderson，Ann M.
• 通讯作者: Anderson，Ann M.