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

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）二期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。真空玻璃就像一个平的透明的保温瓶。真空玻璃的热损失比三层玻璃少三倍，但制造成本并不高。这种颠覆性的价值主张将推动市场快速渗透，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窗口符合美国能源部窗口路线图的目标和时间表。直接的好处包括提高了乘员的舒适度，减少了取暖费用，而没有恒温器的挫折。此外，真空窗将永远无冷凝和无雾。潜在的影响是巨大的。建筑占美国总碳排放量的40%。几乎普遍使用可以使美国的总能源使用量减少3%（约3千万亿英热单位/年），同时不增加基础设施建设成本。德国、日本、澳大利亚、中国、俄罗斯都有真空玻璃的发展计划；该项目的成功发展将确保美国保持在这项技术的科学和技术前沿，并参与一个巨大的和不断增长的市场。该项目将开发利用等离子体脱气技术，实现真空寿命超过20年，这是私人投资的一个条件。如果没有充分的脱气，在密封时附着在内部表面的水分就会被困住。被困住的水分分子随后会排出气体，导致真空衰变。传统的高温烘焙成本太高，买不起真空玻璃。烘烤需要几个小时，但等离子脱气只需几分钟。德国的一项真空玻璃开发工作尝试了真空下的等离子体脱气，但效率很低。相比之下，这个项目将使用大气压等离子体脱气，既快又便宜。根据第一阶段项目的经验教训，将开发一种等离子体处理方案，以生产高达平均住宅窗户尺寸25%的VIG窗格。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，使R-10窗口符合能源部窗口路线图。此后，将组装一条综合试验生产线，能够生产适合有意义的改造项目的真空玻璃装置。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，结合成功运营的试验线，将有助于确保商业化的私人投资。

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.