Aerogel Blanket Composite Structure for Vibration-Resistant Insulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aerogel blankets suffer from particle separation due to vibration, leading to performance degradation, particularly in thermal conductivity and mechanical integrity.
Innovation Solution
The aerogel blanket is designed with a significant portion of aerogel particles physically coupled to the blanket base, minimizing separation by incorporating a production method that involves impregnating a catalyzed sol into a blanket base and rotating it to form a strong gelation, followed by supercritical drying to maintain structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If aerogel particles are made small and low density to improve insulation performance, then thermal conductivity is reduced, but aerogel particles are easily scattered and separated from the blanket base when stored, carried, and used
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines aerogel particles with a blanket base material to create a composite aerogel blanket. The blanket base serves as a supporting matrix that holds the aerogel particles in place, preventing scattering and separation while maintaining the insulation properties of the aerogel. This composite structure resolves the contradiction by integrating two materials with complementary characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the porous structure of the blanket base material to accommodate aerogel particles. The porous matrix provides both mechanical support to prevent particle separation and thermal insulation properties. The interconnected pores allow the aerogel particles to be distributed throughout the blanket base while maintaining structural integrity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If aerogel blanket is used in pipe installation where continuous vibration occurs, then flexibility and adaptability are improved, but aerogel particles are continuously separated from the aerogel blanket causing significant performance degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The composite structure of aerogel particles embedded in a blanket base material provides both flexibility and vibration resistance. The blanket base material acts as a binding matrix that maintains aerogel particles in position even under continuous vibrational stress, preventing the performance degradation that would otherwise occur in flexible applications like pipe insulation.
3Stability of the object's composition
If aerogel particles are physically coupled to blanket base to suppress separation by vibration, then particle stability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases due to additional impregnation and gelation process steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs sol-gel chemistry to transform the physical state of the blanket base material from a dry fibrous form to a gelated state that firmly binds aerogel particles. By controlling the chemical parameters of the sol-gel process (pH, temperature, time), the manufacturing process achieves strong particle coupling through a systematic chemical transformation rather than complex mechanical assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The sol-gel process acts as an intermediary mechanism that chemically bonds aerogel particles to the blanket base material. The gelation process creates a transitional state where the blanket base material forms a cohesive matrix that permanently secures the aerogel particles, simplifying the overall manufacturing process while achieving strong particle coupling.
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 effectively reduces aerogel particle separation and maintains low thermal conductivity, even under vibrational stress, by ensuring a substantial portion of aerogel remains attached to the blanket base, thereby preserving insulation properties.
Implementation Method 1
impregnating a catalyzed sol into a blanket base
Implementation Method 2
drying the aerogel blanket
Implementation Method 3
the aerogel has super-insulation that shows a thermal conductivity of 0.003 W/m·K or less
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
AI summary
The present invention provides an aerogel blanket including a blanket base, aerogel coupled on the surface of the blanket base, and aerogel located at a space between the blanket bases, the aerogel coupled on the surface of the blanket base is 50 wt% based on the total weight of aerogel, wherein the aerogel blanket has the number of aerogel particles separated from the aerogel blanket ranging from 13,600 to 90,000 per ft3, when vibrating the aerogel blanket at a frequency of 1 Hz to 30 Hz for 2 hours to 10 hours.