Granular Vacuum Insulation Core Densification Method
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing insulating materials for appliance structures lack the ability to achieve a consistent and optimal density for effective thermal and acoustical insulation.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the preparation of a powder insulation material, pre-densification, crushing to form granular core insulation, and further densification by gas expression within an insulating cavity to achieve a target density range of 80-350 grams per liter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If powder insulation material is used directly without densification, then the material is easy to handle and install, but the insulation performance is insufficient due to low density
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary densification to the powder insulation material before installation. The material is pre-densified to form granular core insulation with controlled density (80-350 g/L) and then further densified in-situ within the insulating cavity. This preliminary preparation ensures optimal insulation performance while maintaining ease of installation through the granular form factor.
2Reliability
If the insulation material is densely packed to achieve optimal insulation performance, then thermal and acoustical insulation is enhanced, but the material becomes difficult to install and requires complex processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the densification process into two distinct stages: (1) pre-densification of powder material into granular form with controlled density, and (2) in-situ further densification within the sealed insulating cavity through gas expression. This segmentation allows the material to be handled in an installable granular form while achieving the required high density for optimal insulation performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The material is pre-densified into granular core insulation before installation, preparing it in advance for optimal performance. The granular form facilitates easy installation while the pre-applied density ensures that minimal additional processing is needed during final installation, reducing overall process complexity.
3Reliability
If the insulation material achieves high density for optimal performance, then insulation effectiveness increases, but the bulk volume of the material decreases requiring precise density control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent controls the density parameter of the insulation material through a two-stage process. The pre-densification stage produces granular material with density in the range of 80-350 g/L, and the in-situ further densification stage achieves the final target density by expressing gas from the material. This controlled parameter change ensures consistent density and optimal insulation effectiveness.
4Manufacturing precision
If gas is expressed from the insulating cavity to further densify the material, then the target density is achieved, but the process requires sealing the cavity and additional processing steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the overall process into distinct stages: material preparation (pre-densification), installation in sealed cavity, and in-situ further densification through gas expression. This segmentation allows each stage to be optimized independently, with the cavity sealing serving as a boundary that enables controlled further densification to achieve precise target 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 method effectively forms a vacuum insulated structure with a granular core insulation that achieves a consistent target density, enhancing thermal and acoustical insulation performance.
Implementation Method 1
Gas is expressed from the interior cavity of the insulating structure to further densify the granular core insulation to define a target density
Data Source
AI summary
A method for forming a vacuum insulated structure using a prepared core material includes preparing a powder insulation material defining a bulk density, pre-densifying the powder insulation material to form a pre-densified insulation base, crushing the pre-densified insulation base into granular core insulation to define a core density of the granular core insulation, disposing the granular core insulation having the core density into an insulating cavity defined within an insulating structure and expressing gas from the interior cavity of the insulating structure to further densify the granular core insulation to define a target density. The granular core insulation defines the target density disposed within the insulating structure defines the vacuum insulation structure, wherein the target density defines a density in the range of from approximately 80 grams per liter to approximately 350 grams per liter.