Insulated Wall Panels with Adjustable Concrete Layers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing insulated walls are limited by the need for pre-cut insulation materials, lack of flexibility in thickness, presence of gaps or joints, and high transportation costs due to pre-fabricated panels, which restricts user choice and environmental sustainability.
Innovation Solution
A method for making insulated walls that allows users to select insulation materials on-site, ensuring continuous insulation without gaps, and using connectors to adjust the distance between concrete layers, enabling flexible panel lengths and heights, and reducing transportation costs by local sourcing and recycling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If pre-cut insulation materials are used, then manufacturing is simplified, but flexibility in thickness and user choice are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The wall panel is divided into two separate concrete layers with a gap between them, allowing insulation material to be inserted independently. This segmentation enables flexible thickness adjustment and material selection without constraining the concrete layers, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and thickness flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The gap between concrete layers is designed as an adjustable space that can accommodate different insulation thicknesses and materials. This dynamic configuration allows the wall to adapt to different thermal requirements while maintaining the simplicity of the concrete layer manufacturing process.
2Productivity
If pre-fabricated insulated panels are used, then installation is faster, but transportation costs increase due to longer component travel distance
Solution Approach 1:
The wall panel is segmented into two concrete layers that can be manufactured separately and transported independently, then assembled on-site with insulation material inserted in the gap. This reduces the size and weight of individual components, lowering transportation costs while maintaining installation efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The concrete layers are prepared in advance but without the insulation material, allowing for more efficient transportation of lighter components. The insulation material is added as a preliminary action during assembly, optimizing both transportation costs and installation speed.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional insulated walls are manufactured, then production is standardized, but gaps or joints appear in the insulation
Solution Approach 1:
The two concrete layers are merged through the insertion of insulation material in the gap between them, creating a continuous insulation barrier. This merging process ensures insulation continuity while maintaining the standardized production of individual concrete layers.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulation material acts as an intermediary element that fills the gap between concrete layers, ensuring continuous thermal insulation. This intermediary prevents gaps and joints in the insulation while allowing the concrete layers to be manufactured separately through standardized processes.
4Device complexity
If fixed insulation thickness is used, then manufacturing is simplified, but adaptability to different project requirements is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The gap between concrete layers is designed as a dynamic space that can accommodate varying insulation thicknesses according to project requirements. This dynamic design maintains manufacturing simplicity while providing adaptability to different thermal performance requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulation thickness parameter can be changed by adjusting the gap size between concrete layers, allowing customization for different project requirements without complicating the manufacturing process of the concrete layers themselves.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a method of making an insulated wall comprising: i) providing a first wall panel and a second wall panel, wherein each of the first wall panel and the second wall panel comprise a first concrete layer, a second concrete layer, a plurality of connectors and an intermediate space between the first concrete layer and the second concrete layer, wherein the connectors extend from the first concrete layer, through the intermediate space to the second concrete layer, wherein the plurality of connectors each comprise a fibre reinforced polymer; ii) providing an insulation material; iii) positioning the first wall panel next to the second wall panel, to form a cavity wall, wherein the intermediate space of the first wall panel and the intermediate space of the second wall panel form a combined intermediate space; iv) adding the insulation material to the combined intermediate space to make an insulated wall.