Radiation-controlled dynamic vacuum insulation

Patent · Sat Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:869980

Benson, David K ^[1]; Potter, Thomas F ^[2]

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1. Golden, CO
2. Denver, CO

A compact vacuum insulation panel comprising a chamber enclosed by two sheets of metal, glass-like spaces disposed in the chamber between the sidewalls, and a high-grade vacuum in the chamber that includes apparatus and methods for enabling and disabling, or turning "on" and "off" the thermal insulating capability of the panel. One type of enabling and disabling apparatus and method includes a metal hydride for releasing hydrogen gas into the chamber in response to heat, and a hydrogen grate between the metal hydride and the chamber for selectively preventing and allowing return of the hydrogen gas to the metal hydride. Another type of enabling and disabling apparatus and method includes a variable emissivity coating on the sheets of metal in which the emissivity is controllably variable by heat or electricity. Still another type of enabling and disabling apparatus and method includes metal-to-metal contact devices that can be actuated to establish or break metal-to-metal heat paths or thermal short circuits between the metal sidewalls.

• Research Organization: MIDWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-83CH10093
• Assignee: Midwest Research Institute (Kansas City, MO)
• Patent Number(s): US 5433056
• OSTI ID: 869980
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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actuated
allowing
allowing return
apparatus
break
break metal-to-metal
capability
chamber
chamber enclosed
circuits
coating
compact
compact vacuum
comprising
contact
contact devices
controllably
controllably variable
devices
disabling
disabling apparatus
disposed
dynamic
dynamic vacuum
electricity
emissivity
emissivity coating
enabling
enclosed
establish
gas
glass-like
glass-like spaces
grate
heat
heat paths
high-grade
high-grade vacuum
hydride
hydrogen
hydrogen gas
hydrogen grate
insulating
insulating capability
insulation
insulation panel
metal
metal contact
metal heat
metal hydride
metal sidewall
metal sidewalls
metal-to-metal
metal-to-metal contact
metal-to-metal heat
method
methods
panel
panel comprising
paths
preventing
radiation-controlled
releasing
releasing hydrogen
response
return
selectively
selectively preventing
sheets
sidewalls
spaces
spaces disposed
thermal
thermal insulating
type
vacuum
vacuum insulation
variable
variable emissivity