DOE Patents title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Radiation-controlled dynamic vacuum insulation

Abstract

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.

Inventors:
 [1];  [2]
  1. Golden, CO
  2. Denver, CO
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Midwest Research Institute, Kansas City, MO (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
869980
Patent Number(s):
5433056
Assignee:
Midwest Research Institute (Kansas City, MO)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
A - HUMAN NECESSITIES A47 - FURNITURE A47J - KITCHEN EQUIPMENT
B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B64 - AIRCRAFT B64G - COSMONAUTICS
DOE Contract Number:  
AC02-83CH10093
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
radiation-controlled; dynamic; vacuum; insulation; compact; panel; comprising; chamber; enclosed; sheets; metal; glass-like; spaces; disposed; sidewalls; high-grade; apparatus; methods; enabling; disabling; thermal; insulating; capability; type; method; hydride; releasing; hydrogen; gas; response; heat; grate; selectively; preventing; allowing; return; variable; emissivity; coating; controllably; electricity; metal-to-metal; contact; devices; actuated; establish; break; paths; circuits; releasing hydrogen; dynamic vacuum; metal contact; vacuum insulation; hydrogen gas; metal hydride; thermal insulating; insulation panel; disabling apparatus; compact vacuum; spaces disposed; metal heat; selectively preventing; break metal-to-metal; allowing return; metal-to-metal heat; chamber enclosed; panel comprising; metal-to-metal contact; metal sidewalls; variable emissivity; emissivity coating; contact devices; heat paths; glass-like spaces; controllably variable; hydrogen grate; high-grade vacuum; insulating capability; metal sidewall; /52/428/

Citation Formats

Benson, David K, and Potter, Thomas F. Radiation-controlled dynamic vacuum insulation. United States: N. p., 1995. Web.
Benson, David K, & Potter, Thomas F. Radiation-controlled dynamic vacuum insulation. United States.
Benson, David K, and Potter, Thomas F. Sun . "Radiation-controlled dynamic vacuum insulation". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/869980.
@article{osti_869980,
title = {Radiation-controlled dynamic vacuum insulation},
author = {Benson, David K and Potter, Thomas F},
abstractNote = {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.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1995},
month = {Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1995}
}