The Numerical Analysis on Insulation Performance with Respect to the Envelope Geometries and Array of Evacuated Powder Panel in Rigid Foam/Evacuated Powder Composite Panels

혼합초단열재에서 진공분말패널의 외피형상 및 패널배열에 따른 단열성능해석

Evacuated powder insulations have long been known to have better thermal performance than existing commercially available insulators, such as fiber glass and CFC-blown foam. To make a composite powder panel, a series of individually evacuated panels was encapsulated in a rigid closed cell foam matrix. The panels were encapsulated in a thin glass sheet barrier to preserve the vacuum. The thermal conductivity of the individual panel was found to be $0.0062W/m^{\circ}K$ by experiment and the polyurethane foam above had a thermal conductivity of $0.024W/m^{\circ}K$. In this study, numerical analysis using finite element method was carried out to investigate insulation performance of rigid foam/evacuated powder composite panel with respect to panel geometries such as panel pitch, panel aspect ratio and panel area ratio. Numerical analysis has indicated that more optimal vacuum panel geometries, much lower overall thermal conductivities can be achieved.