Glassy warmth. To heat glass, you need to combine three different technologies

Electrically heated glass is an innovative technology and a unique engineering solution. The technology in demand all over the world has spawned a lot of imitators. And it was created by Russian engineer Alexander Kostyuchenko.

The world has long lacked such technology - ever since panoramic windows, glass roofs and luxurious glass entrances appeared. How to keep warm in the house if you have huge windows instead of walls? And how to clean the glass roof from snow in winter without calling climbers every day? But there are also ships that sail along the Northern Sea Route, and planes that fly at a temperature of -60 °, and just our cars that turn into an ice block in winter. It would be much more convenient to operate all this if it was possible to prevent the formation of ice on them or to quickly "defrost" them. All these problems were solved by an engineer, a graduate of the Academy of the State Fire Service of the EMERCOM of Russia, Alexander Kostyuchenko, General Director of Thermo Glass LLC (a resident of Skolkovo), who himself developed the technology of electrically heated glass with an infrared heating element from scratch.

At the beginning of his entrepreneurial career, Alexander Kostyuchenko was selling infrared heaters, developing the production of polyethylene pressure pipes for water supply, but he was always interested in creating something of his own. So in 2008, the first line of infrared heaters of his design was launched, then still metal, with a ceramic heating element. “I myself made the drawings, the profile,” says Alexander Kostyuchenko. “But there were analogues of such devices in the world, and I wanted to develop an alternative heating element”.

A series of experiments began. “At first I tried to spray graphite onto glass, mixing it with paints. A voltage was applied to the opaque, more precisely, black heating element, it was evenly heated up to 180 °, after which the coating degraded, - Alexander recalls. - It was not possible to achieve a stable result. Then I started looking for a suitable material for a flat infrared heater, and glass seemed to me the most promising. I went to the factory, collected all the types of glass they had, and after a series of experiments, I selected about five types that fit the heating element. Then there was a very difficult task, one might say, a key one: how to supply power to the glass, that is, an electric current. You can't just stick a wire into glass! "

To obtain a conductive layer, Alexander had to learn how to spray metal oxides on glass. “In the end I found equipment designed to apply metals to metal. And it was perfect for my purposes. As a result, I got a kind of conductor and glass. At the same time, the glass remained absolutely transparent. But then the next problem arose - how to heat the glass to the specified temperature, which means that it was necessary to find a way to completely or partially remove the uniform coating applied at the factory. Only in this way it was possible to create a structure for the passage of current in order to heat the glass to the required values. "

Alexander tried to etch the sprayed layer with acids and alkali, but it was a dead-end path. Meanwhile, while engaged in the production of metal heaters, he was associated with laser processing. “I took glass samples, went to the factory and started experimenting on all the lasers there were. And I selected a certain type of laser, which evaporated this metal layer with the help of a laser beam.

“I have combined three disparate technologies,” the inventor sums up. “I learned how to spray an electrically conductive metal - I got a heating element, and I was able to adjust its power with a laser. My heating element generates thermal energy in the infrared range, and this range accounts for up to 95% of the heat generated, evenly distributed throughout the electric heater. The result is absolutely transparent glass, which heats up from 0 to 300 degrees, depending on the tasks. "

The new look of Yakutia

The scope of application of innovative electrically heated glass is practically limitless: these are flat glass electric heaters, and double-glazed windows, and showcases, as well as glass floors, roofs, partitions, windows of aircraft and ships. Yes, just windows in an ordinary city apartment! When it is cold outside, but heating was not provided, a warm window is very helpful. Or, for example, you have a wide windowsill and you decide to arrange a sofa on it. But in winter it blows from the window, and the battery cannot help in any way. A warm window creates a screen, while it is enough to heat it up to 25 ° C, that is, to the room temperature. The window is connected to the mains through a thermostat, which automatically maintains a certain temperature. The maximum heating temperature of double-glazed windows for apartments is 50 ° C.

The principle of operation of a single-chamber double-glazed window with electric heating

“You get not just a window, but a climate control unit that provides heating in winter and coolness in summer,” Alexander Kostyuchenko praises his invention. “Coolness is provided by multifunctional glasses that reflect heat rays from the street, so that they do not penetrate inside the house” ... And also warm glasses are a useful thing when they attach and insulate a loggia: in this case, batteries are not allowed to be installed, and there are no indications about insulated glass units with electric heating.

Heated windows break architectural and construction stereotypes. “A woman from Yakutia came to us and shared her dream: I want, she says, that we have the same panoramic glazing as in Moscow,” Alexander says. the window is one of the main causes of heat leakage, and now Yakutia can afford beautiful glass facades. As a result, we went there, picked up the complete set of double-glazed windows, started testing, and they were amazed that it really works and they have the opportunity to build houses with panoramic glazing. " “Now we have a whole line of work under the slogan:" Let's change the face of the Republic of Sakha ", - the General Director jokes.

The device of a single-chamber glass unit with electric heating

The device of a double-glazed window with electric heating

In the middle lane, Thermo Glass is more often used by companies who want to prevent snow canopies or ice on the glass roof. For example, in "Zaryadye" the roof is unheated, and in winter snow falls on it, which causes dangerous additional loads on the structures.

Smart glass and other innovations

It is difficult to promote innovative products, Alexander admits. “Before we organized our production, there was no market for electrically heated glass in Russia. We have been doing this for nine years, and at best one out of a hundred knows about us, although we have spent a colossal amount of time, effort and money on promoting. "

In fact, the general director is disingenuous: now orders and proposals for cooperation are pouring on him from all sides - from private customers and state corporations, from companies producing double-glazed windows. Shelters for sentries at post # 1 - near the Eternal Flame - are made of the thermo Glass electrically heated glass: in winter they maintain a temperature of + 20 ° С. The company installed its warm windows on the dome of the Italian embassy in Denezhny lane so that it would not be necessary to remove the snow in winter. In the Czech Republic, in the ski resort, there is a bar that is heated only by Thermo Glass - there are no other sources of heat.

Another interesting project was implemented in Kolomna, on the site of the former chapel of St. Alexander Nevsky, built in honor of the miraculous salvation of Emperor Alexander II after the attempt on his life by the terrorist Karakozov and destroyed by the Bolsheviks in 1924. An archaeological window is made of innovative glass "Thermo Glass" over the foundation of the chapel, which heats up during snowfall or rain.

“We see prospects in smart glass,” Alexander Kostyuchenko shares his plans. “Smart glass is not only heating, but also variable transparency and certain properties of sun protection. Now the production of ordinary glass is falling, and the production of smart glass is growing annually by 7%. The company already has models in which the transparent glass turns into frosted glass at the touch of a button.

The nearest plans are to expand production: “The market requires large double-glazed windows, not 2 x 3, but 4.5 x 2.5. It is difficult to do this in our squares. And there are many orders. So we need to buy a new production building or enter into collaboration with the largest manufacturers of double-glazed windows in the country. " A patriot to the bone, Alexander Kostyuchenko is not going to transfer production to China, although he plans to make his project international. “We supply products to Europe, in particular to England, we have opened a joint venture in Poland, and now we are opening in Belarus,” he says. “We haven’t taken a single loan yet, and we purchased this production building with the money we earned. In general, we have proved by our example that in Russian conditions it is possible to develop innovative production, while without any bankers and support in government agencies, on the initiative of a handful of people. "

The device and principle of operation of a double-glazed window with electric heating

In the off state, the heating glasses save heat due to the special design of the glass unit. The heating layer is a low-emission sputtering (K-glass), which retains heat in the room from heating devices and heated objects. Additionally, the glass unit can be retrofitted with one more heat-saving or multifunctional glass to achieve the best properties for maintaining the room temperature.

As you know, LLC "Termo Glass" is a member of the Association "StekloSouz" of Russia.

Materials: https://www.kommersant.ru/