SBIR Phase I: Machine to fabricate a bioinspired insulation material: The Concatenator

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛/商业影响是开发一种新型的，比玻璃纤维更良性的隔热技术，用于美国各地的家庭。绝缘技术的改进有可能减少全国范围内的能源使用，以及与能源生产和传输相关的所有碳排放。根据美国能源情报署（Energy Information Administration）的数据，美国51%的住宅能源用于生活空间的供暖和制冷，约占美国总能源消耗的11%。该项目旨在利用仿生学原理开发一种更有效的电池绝缘材料。与其他绝缘材料不同，绝缘安装人员无保护的暴露不会加重呼吸问题，这对于遭受COVID-19长期影响的房主和工人来说越来越重要。该项目旨在推动这项新技术的潜力和可负担性，同时创造新的美国就业机会。该项目的灵感来自生活在北极圈以上的永久冻土层中的黄马蜂的巢穴。巢周围的空心墙结构保护巢免受极端温度的影响。这种结构可以用来制造高效、轻质、防水、不燃、无毒、无尘、无刺激的隔热板。该项目侧重于以有效的方式开发这种隔热材料，以保持其价格点与现有产品的竞争力。这涉及到设计一台能够快速、一致地生产新绝缘材料的制造机器。为了进一步提高材料的热性能，该公司还将开发一种辅助机器，可以扫描博物馆收藏的昆虫标本，以评估在红外波长下具有高反射性的生物结构，并利用这些数据来解决辐射传热的管理问题。该团队将采用六西格玛方法进行质量控制，以改进绝缘制造过程。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过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，被认为值得支持。

The broader/commercial impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is in the development of a novel, and more benign than fiberglass, thermal insulation technology for use in homes across the United States. Improvements in insulation technology have the potential to reduce energy use nationwide, along with all carbon emissions associated with the production and transmission of that energy. According to the Energy Information Administration, 51% of all residential energy in the United States is used for heating and cooling living spaces, which amounts to about 11% of the total energy consumption of the country. This project aims to use the principles of biomimicry to develop a more effective batt insulation. Unlike other insulation materials, unprotected exposure by the insultation installers will not aggravate respiratory issues, which is increasingly important for homeowners and working people who suffer from the long-term effects of COVID-19. This project seeks to push the potential and affordability of this new technology while creating new American jobs. The project is inspired by the nests of yellowjacket wasps that live in pockets of permafrost high above the Arctic circle. The nests are protected from extreme temperatures by the hollow wall structure surrounding the nest’s interior. This structure can be adapted to create insulation panels that are highly efficient, lightweight, water-resistant, non-combustible, non-toxic, non-dusting, and irritant-free. The project focuses on the development of such a thermal insulation material in an efficient way to keep its price point competitive with the current products. This involves designing a manufacturing machine capable of producing the new insulation quickly and consistently. To further push the thermal performance of the material, the company will also develop a complementary machine that can scan insect specimens in museum collections to assess biological structures that are highly reflective in infrared wavelengths and use the data to address management of radiative heat transfer. The team will apply a six-sigma approach to quality control for improving the insulation manufacturing process.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.