Evacuated Capsules in Sol-Gel for Transparent Insulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current window technologies, such as vacuum insulated glass, are expensive, have durability issues, and are not suitable for retrofitting due to high costs and weight, while existing hollow glass microspheres-based solutions fail to provide substantial thermal insulation when used as thin layers.
Innovation Solution
The development of evacuated capsules with silica shells and low-emissivity coatings, dispersed and suspended in a solution to form a transparent and insulating film with high packing density, achieving thermal conductivity as low as 0.02 W/m-K and visible light transmission greater than 75%, using sol-gel processing and specific deposition methods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If vacuum insulated glass (VIG) is used to improve thermal insulation, then thermal conductivity is reduced, but cost and weight increase substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the continuous vacuum space into discrete evacuated capsules distributed throughout the transparent material. Each capsule is a separate vacuum-sealed unit, allowing the material to achieve insulation properties without the weight and cost of a full VIG assembly. This segmentation enables retrofitting into existing window frames without substantial construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies vacuum insulation locally through dispersed capsules rather than creating a full vacuum between glass panes. The evacuated capsules are distributed throughout the transparent material at specific locations, providing thermal insulation where needed while maintaining overall transparency and reducing weight compared to conventional VIG.
2Loss of energy
If hollow glass microspheres are used to improve insulation, then thermal insulation value increases, but visible light transmission decreases due to scattering
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the gas from the hollow glass microspheres to create evacuated capsules. By removing the gas content, the capsules eliminate internal scattering interfaces while maintaining the spherical structure that provides insulation. This extraction of gas allows the capsules to provide thermal insulation without the light scattering problems of filled microspheres.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the internal pressure parameter of the hollow glass microspheres by evacuating them. This parameter change from atmospheric pressure to vacuum eliminates the gas-phase light scattering while maintaining the spherical geometry that provides thermal insulation, thereby improving both transparency and insulation performance.
3Loss of energy
If thick layers of hollow glass microspheres are used to achieve high insulation value, then thermal conductivity decreases, but material density and opacity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses small, simple evacuated capsules that can be mass-produced and dispersed throughout the transparent material. These capsules are individually simple structures that can be manufactured economically and distributed at high concentrations without requiring thick layers, thereby achieving high insulation values with low material density.
4Loss of energy
If replacement windows are installed to improve energy efficiency, then R-value increases, but cost and construction complexity increase substantially
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a transparent insulating material that can be applied to existing windows without requiring complete window replacement. The material containing dispersed evacuated capsules serves multiple functions: it provides thermal insulation, maintains transparency, and can be applied as a retrofit solution to existing window frames, eliminating the need for substantial construction work.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a cost-effective, durable, and transparent insulating film that significantly reduces thermal conductivity while maintaining high visible light transmission, suitable for retrofitting and improving energy efficiency in windows.
Implementation Method 1
evacuated capsules with silica shells and low-emissivity coatings, dispersed and suspended in a solution to form a transparent and insulating film with high packing density, achieving thermal conductivity as low as 0.02 W/m-K
Implementation Method 2
evacuated capsules with silica shells and low-emissivity coatings
Data Source
AI summary
Transparent and insulating materials having evacuated capsules are provided. According to an aspect of the invention, a method includes forming evacuated capsules within a solution, and dispersing and suspending the evacuated capsules within the solution such that a packing density of the evacuated capsules within the solution is greater than 30%, and a visible light transmission of the solution including the evacuated capsules is greater than 75%. According to another aspect of the invention, a layer includes a plurality of evacuated capsules distributed within a dried sol-gel. A thermal conductivity of the layer is between 0.02 W/m-K and 0.001 W/m-K, and the layer has a visible light transmission of greater than 30%.