Fabrication, evaluation, and application of evacuated panel insulation (EPI) to portable coolers.

摘要

Thermal insulation is a key parameter in the national energy equation. A reduction in energy usage was realized when chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) blown foams were utilized in thermal insulation applications; however, the discovery that CFC's are reducing the stratospheric ozone resulted in an international agreement to restrict the future production of CFC's. If viable alternatives are not developed, these restrictions will result in increased energy demands. One alternative to foams containing CFC is carbon dioxide blown foams used in a composite insulation system with evacuated panel insulation (EPI). Carbon dioxide blown foams are about 33% higher in thermal conductivity than CFC blown foams; however, EPI's are about 66% lower in conductivity than CFC blown foams. By combining these two insulations into one composite insulation system, CFC's can be eliminated and replaced by a system with lower thermal conductivity. This report covers the fabrication and evaluation of EPI's and their application in a composite panel/CFC foam insulation system in portable ice coolers. Ice coolers were used as a demonstration device because they provided a simple tool for determining the resistances of the composite insulation as compared with the foam alone. CFC foams were used as this project involved a ''drop-in'' replacement in a production environment where substitution of CO(sub 2) foam was not practical. 16 refs., 3 figs., 9 tabs.