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2018
An unusual background in insect science and mechanical engineering led Chris Alice "Alie" Kratzer to the startling realization that the nests of yellowjackets - of all things - could lead to a breakthrough in thermal insulation technology.
While researching wasps for her first book, Alie noted that Arctic Yellowjackets (Dolichovespula albida) build spherical paper nests in cavities within permafrost high above the Arctic circle. She was amazed that these little wasps could survive in such extreme conditions. Alie discovered that the nests are protected from the frost by a layer of carefully-engineered air pockets within the paper structure that surrounds the nest – and the thermal properties of that structure were both highly efficient and previously unknown to science. If the nest's properties could be replicated, they could revolutionize the insulation industry!
Image © Chris Alice Kratzer (2022)
2019
Alie pitched the idea to the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) chapter of Engineers for a Sustainable World (ESW) in 2019. The project team researched the concept and developed a design for a rudimentary prototype for the 2019 Biomimicry Design Challenge through the Biomimicry Institute, but - without any funding - the team was unable to perform thermal testing to validate their research, and they did not place in the competition.
2020 - 2021
In 2020, Alie continued the project through her new company, Owlfly LLC. She hired Olivier Montmayeur and Liv Breglia – fellow alumni from RIT and ESW – to help perform extensive thermodynamics testing and modeling. The team constructed a custom heat transfer test rig to quickly analyze and compare insulation prototypes. By the end of 2021, the Owlfly team was able to replicate the thermal physics of yellowjacket nests using the principles of biomimicry, and named the new insulation YellowJacket™ after the wasps that inspired it.
2022
The Owlfly team pursued grant funding and private investment to build production equipment to bring YellowJacket™ to market. Automation engineer Zoey Katz joined the team to improve Owlfly's in-house manufacturing capability with custom robotics.
2023 - 2024
The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded Owlfly LLC an SBIR Phase I grant to aid in the research and development of YellowJacket™ insulation. The purpose of this Phase I project was to (1) develop YellowJacket™ into a commercially viable product, and (2) develop automated machinery to manufacture batts of YellowJacket™ insulation at scale. We hired Mabel Fox as a laboratory technician.
The energy efficiency of an insulation material is proportional to its thermal resistivity, which is measured as its “R-value” per unit thickness (written “R/in”). A higher R-value means the material is better at resisting the flow of heat. Our team assembled and tested over two dozen unique YellowJacket™ prototypes using a custom-built testing machine. Each prototype sought to quantify the thermal effects of a different variable – such as air pocket size, structural material, and reflective coating. We sent several prototypes to an ASTM certification laboratory for independent validation. They were able to verify our best prototype at 4.81 R/in, which is over 40% more energy-efficient than the median batt of commercial fiberglass.
We began this Phase I project with the assumption that thermal resistivity was the single most important metric for homeowners when choosing a new type of insulation. However, Beat-the-Odds customer interviews revealed that homeowners consistently rate human health, environmental health, and ease of installation as significantly more important than thermal resistivity. Fortunately for us, YellowJacket™ insulation already matches or exceeds industry alternatives in each of these metrics.
Halfway through the Phase I project, we identified a potential combustibility issue with one of our raw materials. Fortunately, we were able to develop a new self-extinguishing and inexpensive composite material (which we named “ChipAL”) to replace it. When exposed to the open flame of a propane torch, ChipAL forms a passive mechanical "blister" that stifles ignition and prevents further combustion.
Unfortunately, though we tried to plan ahead by designing our automated machinery to manufacture YellowJacket™ batts with a wide range of external dimensions, we did not account for a radically different feedstock. The current machine designs are incompatible with our new ChipAL composite and must be redesigned from the ground up. Fortunately, almost all of the components can be salvaged and reused in the next iteration of the machines (which we hope to design and build in Phase II).
Additionally, this Phase I project sought to study biological specimens in infrared (IR) light for the purposes of biomimicry research. In theory, it may be possible to design better radiant heat barriers for buildings if we can identify biological materials that are highly reflective in IR wavelengths. Most of Earth’s biodiversity has never been studied in detail outside of the visible spectrum, so this type of research presents an incredible opportunity for new scientific discoveries. You can read about the biomimicry research (dubbed "Project IRIS") here.
2025
Owlfly LLC applied for Phase II funding through the National Science Foundation, with the hopes of building a proper factory for full-scale production.