![]() ![]() Every time Goossen talks to a roomful of engineers about this project, hands go up with lots of questions. He is now testing his system over a wide range of temperatures to see how it performs, especially as it approaches temperatures that could cause the fluid within to freeze, which will be between 3 and 16 degrees Fahrenheit, depending upon the eventual fluid that is used. ![]() Goossen uses 3-D printing to make his prototypes, but this technology could eventually be manufactured at a high volume and low cost using injection molding. "It performed better than we thought it would based on our theoretical understanding," he said. It is highly reflective at up to a 60-degree angle of incidence, an improvement over the previous prototype. Instead of utilizing cubes, this smart glass relies on the total internal reflection of one-dimensional structures layered perpendicularly. Goossen's smart glass system can switch from transparent to reflective a thousand times without degrading, as shown in a paper published late last year in the journal Optics Express.Īt this week's conference, Goossen revealed a new, improved design. This is called refractive index matching. When combined, the light can pass through, and the system becomes transparent. This liquid has optical properties, or interaction with visible light, that match the optical properties of the retroreflective plastic. Then the chamber is filled with a fluid called methyl salicylate - an inexpensive wintergreen extract that happens to be the active ingredient in some over-the-counter pain relief creams. The plastic contains tiny cube-shaped structures that make the material retroreflective, meaning that it bounces light back to its source, like a bicycle reflector does. It starts with two sheets of plastic separated by a thin cavity. The principles behind this smart glass technology are surprisingly simple. Goossen shared his latest smart glass prototype on Monday, March 5 in a keynote address at the SPIE Smart Materials and Nondestructive Evaluation for Energy Systems IV conference in Denver. It is also more transparent in its transparent state and more reflective in its reflective state than competitors, he said. This "smart glass" technology could be utilized in eco-friendly windows, windshields, roof panes and building envelopes, absorbing light and heat in the winter and reflecting it away in the summer.Īlthough Goossen isn't the first scientist to make smart glass, his team's invention is about one-tenth the price of other versions. Goossen and Daniel Wolfe, who earned a doctoral degree from UD last year, developed panels that can switch between allowing light in and blocking it out. ![]()
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