The Science
Vacuum Insulation Panels work on the same principle of the famous Vacuum Flask, invented by Sir James Dewar, FRS, in 1892.
By maintaining a vacuum between concentric walls of glass Sir James Dewar demonstated a very high degree of insulation can be achieved, and if a reflective coating is applied then infrared transmission is also reduced.
It is this basic process that is used in Vacuum Insulation Panels today, where the glass is replaced with a metallised barrier film, and a low conductivity “filler” is used to make a core that holds the walls apart.
The thermal insulation core material in Kevothermal’s Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIPs) is a nanoporous solid with both low density and small pores which are >100 times smaller than conventional insulation.
The composition is an amorphous silica and carbon in a three dimensional, highly branched network of primary particles which aggregate into larger particles.
It is this nano-scale porosity that gives Kevothermal Vacuum Insulation Panels its excellent thermal performance.
As gas molecules within the insulation experience the Knudsen effect which virtually eliminates gas energy exchange due to gas molecules being more likely to colide with pore walls than other gas molecules, also due to the low density solid phase conduction is low and Kevothermal's proprietary infra-red opacifier greatly reduces radiation.
When the Vacuum Insulation Panels are encased in a multilayer outer barrier and evacuated to a mild vacuum K-values around 0.004 W/mK can be achieved.
Comparison graphs of Kevothermal Vacuum Insulation Panels to other insulation such as polyurethane, expanded polystyrene (EPS), and fibreglass are illustrated.
This comparison demonstrates that 25mm of Kevothermal Vacuum Insulation Panel will provide the same insulation (U-value) as 165mm of Polyurethane under ideal conditions.