James Dyson Award US National Finalist, 2016
Did you know:
15% of heating is lost at your windows.
66% of this loss occurs at the glass.
15% of heating is lost at your windows.
66% of this loss occurs at the glass.
There currently lacks an inexpensive, user-friendly, and effective insulation option for windows in the market place. With the goal to design a physical interface that allows Providence residents to insulate their windows creatively, my team with Kevin Jung (Brown University ElecE '16) and Haily Tran (Brown University EnvSci '16) developed modular insulation, designed to be manufactured with injection molding.
Initial Observations: improvised curtains; broken screens; flimsy panels
Current Insulation Methods: difficult to install; unattractive; changes visibility and accessibility of window; ineffective
Insulus is:
Inspiration: Tetris, Post-it Wall Art
Heat loss occurs when warm air moves through cold glass (convection). This honey-comb design maximizes insulation properties by trapping still air.
The higher a material's R value, the better it is at insulating.
The higher a material's R value, the better it is at insulating.
A quarter inch of still air has an R-value that is three times that of glass. Empirically, Insulus is a successful insulation option.
Jig saw puzzles are recognizable as something playful, and the thinness and transparency of this design allows windows to still be accessible and visible. Since these interlock with each other, people can easily remove them in sections.
Modularity allows them to fit mostly all window types and sizes.
Manufacturing:
Simple installation:
Preliminary form explorations:
