Vacuum insulation panel

• US 4,726,974 A
• Filed: 10/08/1986
• Issued: 02/23/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Union Carbide Industrial Gases Technology Corporation (Linde Plc)
• Original Assignee: Union Carbide Corporation (Dow, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kather, Kenneth C., Acharya, Arun, Nowobilski, Jeffert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas, Alexander S.
• Application Number:
  US06/916,554
• Time in Patent Office: 503 Days
• Field of Search: 428/69, 428/74, 428/75, 428/76, 428/302, 428/303, 428/220, 428/219
• US Class Current: 428/69
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/082 comprising vinyl resins; comprising acrylic resins
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/085 comprising polyolefins
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/09 comprising polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/18 comprising iron or steel B32B15/011, B32B15/012 and B32B15/013 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 15/20 comprising aluminium or copper B32B15/016 and B32B15/017 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2307/304 Insulating
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2311/24 Aluminium
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2311/30 Iron, e.g. steel
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2323/04 Polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2323/10 Polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2327/00 Polyvinylhalogenides
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2327/18 PTFE, i.e. polytetrafluoroethylene
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2367/00 Polyesters, e.g. PET, i.e. polyethylene terephthalate
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2607/00 Walls, panels
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/304 comprising vinyl halide (co)polymers, e.g. PVC, PVDC, PVF, PVDF
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/32 comprising polyolefins comprising vinyl (co)polymers or acrylic (co)polymers B32B27/30
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/36 comprising polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/803 with vacuum spaces included in the slab
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 59/065 using vacuum F16L59/075 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 59/141 : in which the temperature of the medium is below that of the ambient temperature rigid pipes of wood F16L9/006; vacuum insulation F16L59/065
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 13/001 : Thermal insulation specially adapted for cryogenic vessels vessels not under pressure with insulation F17C3/02; thermal insulation in general F16L59/00
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/032 : Multi-sheet layers
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/035 : Glass wool
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0358 : in form of panels
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2203/0391 : by vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/011 : Oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/014 : Nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/016 : Noble gases (Ar, Kr, Xe)
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2221/031 : Air
• CPC Class Codes: F17C 2223/0161 : cryogenic, e.g. LNG, GNL, PLNG
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 2201/14 : using subatmospheric pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 1/0261 : Details of cold box insulation, housing and internal structure buildings forming parts of cooling plants E04H5/10
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 2290/30 : Details about heat insulation or cold insulation
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 3/0295 : Start-up or control of the process; Details of the apparatus used, e.g. sieve plates, packings
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 3/04945 : Details of internal structure; insulation and housing of the cold box
• CPC Class Codes: F25J 3/0695 : Start-up or control of the process; Details of the apparatus used
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 30/242 : Slab shaped vacuum insulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 80/10 : Insulation, e.g. vacuum or aerogel insulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/231 : Filled with gas other than air; or under vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/237 : Noninterengaged fibered material encased [e.g., mat, batt, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/238 : Metal cover or casing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/239 : Complete cover or casing

Abstract

A vacuum insulation panel comprising a defined dual layered enclosure encasing a defined compressed fiberglass substrate which enables easy and effective insulation of large equipment with improved system flexibility and integrity.

Claims

1. An insulation panel comprising a sealed evacuated film enclosure said film comprised of at least one layer of plastic and at least one layer of metal laminated together, said seal(s) being at points of plastic to plastic contact, said enclosure encasing adsorbent and a shaped article of compressed fiberglass having fiber diameters not exceeding ten microns, said fibers held together by binder to form a smoothened surface.

2. The panel of claim 1 wherein the plastic is tetraphthalate polyester, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyimide, fluorinated ethylene propylene, polyvinylidene chloride or polyethylene.

3. The panel of claim 1 wherein the metal is aluminum, silver, gold, chromium, nickel, stainless steel or Inconel™

.

4. The panel of claim 1 wherein the dual layered film has a thickness within the range of from 0.5 to 50 mils.

5. The panel of claim 1 wherein the dual layered film has a thickness within the range of from 2 to 10 mils.

6. The panel of claim 1 wherein the film comprises two dual layered film sheets which are laminated together at the metal surfaces.

7. The panel of claim 1 wherein the shaped article is in the shape of a rectangle.

8. The panel of claim 1 wherein the shaped article is in the shape of a curved surface.

9. The panel of claim 1 wherein the shaped article has a density within the range of from 3 to 40 pounds per cubic foot.

10. The panel of claim 1 wherein the fiber diameters do not exceed 5 microns.

11. The panel of claim 1 wherein the binder is present in the shaped article at a concentration within the range of from 5 to 30 weight percent.

12. The panel of claim 1 wherein the binder is a phenolic binder, a silicone binder or an inorganic sodium silicate binder.

13. The panel of claim 1 wherein the shaped article has curvilinear edging essentially completely around its perimeter.

14. The panel of claim 13 wherein the curvilinear edging is defined by a curvature having a radius within the range of from 1/8 to one inch.

15. The panel of claim 1 wherein the adsorbent is attached to the shaped article on the intended cold side of the panel.

16. The panel of claim 1 wherein the adsorbent is hydrophobic molecular sieve.

17. The panel of claim 1 wherein the sealed enclosure is evacuated to a pressure within the range of from 0.01 to 1000 microns of mercury.

18. The panel of claim 1 wherein the edges of the dual layered film enclosure are heat sealed together.

19. The panel of claim 1 additionally comprising two sided adhesive tape or velcro on the outside of the enclosure to facilitate attachment to equipment.

20. The use of an insulation panel comprising a sealed evacuated film enclosure said film comprised of at least one layer of plastic and at least one layer of metal laminated together, said seal(s) being at points of plastic to plastic contact, said enclosure encasing adsorbent and a shaped article of compressed fiberglass having fiber diameters not exceeding ten microns, said fibers held together by binder to form a smoothened surface to insulate cryogenic equipment wherein the panel is positioned adjacent the cryogenic equipment and the cold side of the panel adjacent said equipment is exposed to a dry gas.

21. The use of claim 20 wherein the adsorbent is hydrophobic molecular sieve.

22. The use of claim 20 wherein the adsorbent is attached to the shaped article on the cold side of the panel.

23. The use claim 20 wherein the dry gas is nitrogen.