LUNA INNOVATIONS INCORPORATED — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: N142-088

Description

With renewed emphasis on energy efficiency, the Marine Corps currently employs radiant insulating barriers in the Expeditionary Shelter System of softwall shelters. These barriers provide an additional insulation value of R-4 consisting of layered textiles that insulate radiant heat and reflect radiant heat. The current barriers are thick and heavy which negates some of the energy savings because of the greater logistical burden associated with the transport of the current barriers due to the additional space and weight constraints. Therefore, there is a need to replace these insulation materials with barriers that have greater R-value as well as decreased storage and weight characteristics over the currently used technologies. The ideal system would be robust, less than inch thick, weighing less than 12 ounces/yd2 and possess an effective R-value of 4+. Luna Innovations has identified an innovative approach to thermal insulation through the use of lightweight, flexible hybrid composites that mimic the properties of silica aerogels, but at a fraction of the cost. These hybrid materials have been shown to achieve R-values/inch of 20+ under ambient conditions and can be used in combination with radiant (low emissivity) insulation materials to provide an unparalleled barrier to heat and moisture transfer.