3D Vacuum Insulation Element With Thermoformed Porous Structure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing three-dimensional thermoformed elements for thermal and acoustic protection in vehicles face challenges such as structural realization, handling issues with powder and porous forms, and the need for a compromise between protection requirements and volume/weight, especially in complex and cramped locations, with limitations in geometric and acoustic performance.
Innovation Solution
A three-dimensional thermal insulation element with a compressed porous structure enclosed in a thermoformable, airtight envelope with a barrier wall that follows the shape, featuring reliefs and depressions for enhanced thermal protection and mechanical integrity, using a combination of polymeric, mineral, or natural fibers with a binder or without, to achieve a lightweight, adaptable, and variable shape solution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional fiber mats are used for molding, then manufacturing is simpler, but geometric precision and acoustic performance are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a composite structure combining a porous support matrix (open-cell foam or fibrous material) with acoustic absorbing material (powder, granules, or fibers) filled within the pores. This composite approach allows the final molded part to achieve both geometric precision through the rigid support structure and acoustic performance through the absorbing material, while maintaining ease of manufacture by using injection molding or compression molding processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention employs a porous support matrix with open cells that provides structural integrity and geometric precision while allowing filling with acoustic absorbing material. The porous structure enables the material to be molded into complex three-dimensional shapes with precise geometric features, overcoming the limitations of conventional dense fiber mats that cannot achieve similar geometric precision.
2Reliability
If powder or porous acoustic absorbing material is used, then acoustic performance improves, but handling and dispersion become difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a porous support matrix that contains the acoustic absorbing material (powder, granules, or fibers) within its open cells. This structure allows the acoustic material to be easily handled as a integrated component rather than loose powder, eliminating dispersion and handling issues while maintaining acoustic performance. The porous matrix acts as a carrier that holds the acoustic material in place during manufacturing and installation.
Solution Approach 2:
By combining the porous support structure with the acoustic absorbing material in a composite format, the invention creates a single integrated component that is easy to handle and install. The composite structure prevents the acoustic material from dispersing while maintaining its acoustic properties, solving both the acoustic performance requirement and the handling difficulty simultaneously.
3Reliability
If protection requirements are increased, then thermal and acoustic insulation improve, but volume and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention employs a porous support matrix with high specific strength that provides structural protection while minimizing weight. The porous structure allows for efficient use of material, providing adequate mechanical strength and thermal insulation with reduced volume compared to solid materials. The open-cell structure also contributes to acoustic absorption, achieving multiple protection functions with minimal weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite structure combining the lightweight porous support matrix with acoustic absorbing material fills the pores with material that provides acoustic and thermal insulation. This composite approach achieves enhanced protection capacity in multiple domains (mechanical, thermal, acoustic) while keeping the overall weight low, as both the support matrix and filling material can be selected for optimal weight-to-performance ratios.
4Strength
If dense material is used for structural strength, then mechanical strength improves, but thermal insulation performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a porous support matrix with open cells that provides adequate mechanical strength through its structural geometry and material selection, while the porosity inherently provides thermal insulation by trapping air or gas in the cells. The porous structure creates thermal barriers that reduce heat transfer, achieving both mechanical strength and thermal insulation simultaneously, unlike dense materials that conduct heat more readily.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite structure combines the porous support matrix (which provides mechanical strength and thermal insulation through its porous structure) with acoustic absorbing material filled in the pores. This composite approach optimizes the balance between mechanical strength and thermal insulation, as the support matrix provides the structural framework with inherent thermal barriers, while the filling material enhances acoustic and thermal properties without significantly increasing density.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides effective thermal and acoustic insulation while maintaining mechanical strength, allowing for varied shapes and densities, reducing weight and thickness, and enabling efficient thermal management in vehicles, such as battery packs, with improved adaptability to different environments.
Implementation Method 1
a three-dimensional thermal insulation element with a compressed porous structure
Implementation Method 2
in which enclosure, at outside ambient temperature and pressure, a pressure between less than 10^5 Pa and more than 10^-2 Pa prevails
Implementation Method 3
comprising a thermoformable and airtight gas barrier member
Data Source
AI summary
A three-dimensional vacuum thermal insulation element having a compressed three-dimensional porous structure and a shell closed in an airtight manner. The shell includes a thermoformable barrier wall and encloses the porous structure arranged between two major surfaces of said barrier wall. The porous structure has a pressure of between less than 105 Pa and more than 10-2 Pa at ambient external temperature and pressure. The barrier wall is thermoformed at the site of said two major surfaces, between which the porous structure has a curved shape and/or reliefs and/or depressions.