Laboratory and Biomedical Refrigerators

This is very special equipment designed to operate at very low temperatures, e.g., from -30 °C to -86 °C, to age samples or to store valuable and perishable goods, like organs and tissues, biological and medical samples or vaccines. Vacuum panels are used mainly to increase the internal storage volume without increasing the energy consumption. 

Since the conventional insulation must be very thick to ensure the achievement of such low temperatures, a partial replacement of the conventional insulator with VIP contributes significantly to increase the internal volume, from 20% up to 40% or more in specific models. 

As a second advantage, panels provide an overall superior passive insulation, which means that the temperature rise in the case of power failure is less steep and more time is necessary before a given critical temperature is reached. This provides extra-safety for delicate articles which may rapidly deteriorate when their temperature exceeds a given value. 

Due to the generally higher insulation thickness, the foaming process here may be even more exothermic than in domestic appliances. Means have therefore to be taken to keep the VIP temperature as low as possible during the encapsulation. 

Ultra-low temperature freezer models using foam filled vacuum panels were successfully placed on the market by a leading company some years ago and other companies are expected to follow soon. 

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