Insulation Performances of Open Cell PU-Filled Vacuum Panels

5 Insulation Performances of Open Cell PU-Filled Vacuum Panels 

The actual insulation efficiency of PU-based vacuum panels depends on the intrinsic core material conductivity, the vacuum level, the type of barrier envelope, the panel size and arrangement in the insulating structure. 

All these aspects have to be optimised to get full benefits from VIP technology. As previously discussed, laminates incorporating a continuous aluminium foil provide, at present, the best gas barrier properties for VIP. Their main drawback is the loss of insulation properties at the panel flanges due to the relatively high thermal conductivity of the aluminium foil which reduces the overall insulating performance, this effect being directly related to the panel size and the aluminium foil thickness. 

The influence of the edge effect on the insulating performance of the panel in actual applications can be better appreciated by introdncing the ECR (Energy Consumption Reduction) factor  

If the panel is encapsulated, as aaually happens in several appUcations, the conventional foam surrounding it also has to be taken into account in the ECR calculation, since it may contribute to heat dissipations, its effect being particularly important around the VIP flanges. 

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