Insulation Panel Recesses for Fire Spread Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing thermal insulation systems in high-rise buildings face challenges in combining effective fire protection with high thermal insulation performance, as they often compromise on either fire safety or insulation efficiency due to the limitations of materials and design.

Innovation Solution

A high-performance thermal insulation panel with an organic insulating material and integrated fire protection strips, featuring recesses for non-combustible material insertion, which restricts fire spread while maintaining low thermal conductivity, is designed. The panel includes a fire protection strip aligned perpendicular to the surface, ensuring effective fire protection without compromising insulation properties.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If the surface of the thermal insulation panel is made continuous, then thermal insulation performance is improved, but fire spread is facilitated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvethermal insulation performanceVSAvoidfire spread
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by introducing recesses that divide the continuous surface of the thermal insulation panel into separate sections. These recesses act as fire barriers that prevent fire from spreading across the entire surface, while the insulation material fills the recesses to maintain thermal performance. The segmentation creates discontinuities that block fire propagation paths without significantly compromising the overall insulation effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by creating regions with different properties: the raised portions of the panel provide continuous thermal insulation, while the recessed portions provide fire protection. By locally modifying the surface structure to include recesses filled with fire-resistant material, the panel achieves both thermal insulation and fire resistance in different areas, resolving the contradiction between continuous insulation and fire spread prevention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Object-affected harmful factors

If recesses are introduced for fire protection, then fire spread is restricted, but thermal insulation performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefire spread restrictionVSAvoidthermal insulation performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the nested doll principle by placing fire-resistant material inside the recesses of the insulation panel. The recesses are cavities within the main insulation body, and the fire protection material is nested within these cavities. This nested structure allows the fire-resistant material to be embedded without significantly increasing the overall panel depth, thereby maintaining thermal insulation performance while providing fire protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent utilizes porous or cellular insulation materials that can fill the recesses effectively. These materials provide both thermal insulation and fire resistance properties. The porous structure allows the material to expand and fill the recesses completely, ensuring fire protection while maintaining the insulating properties of the material throughout the panel structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #31Porous materials

3Object-affected harmful factors

If recess depth is increased for better fire protection, then fire safety improves, but thermal bridges form

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefire safetyVSAvoidthermal bridge formation
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial action by creating recesses with optimized depth that provides sufficient fire protection without excessive depth. The recesses are deep enough to contain fire and prevent spread, but not so deep that they create significant thermal bridges or compromise structural integrity. This partial modification of the surface structure achieves the necessary fire safety while minimizing thermal loss.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

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 enhanced fire protection and thermal insulation performance, meeting stringent fire safety requirements while maintaining the integrity and efficiency of the insulation system, suitable for high-rise buildings.

Implementation Method 1

the spread of fire can be restricted or prevented in the event of a fire. In particular, this can limit or prevent the formation of pyrolysis gases

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFire protection through material compartmentalization:

Implementation Method 2

an at least essentially organic high-performance insulating material with a thermal conductivity of less than 0.030 W/Km

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal insulation: Thermal Insulation

Implementation Method 3

The recess preferably has a depth that is less than a thickness of the high-performance insulating material. This avoids the formation of thermal bridges

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentEP2855789B1High-performance heat-insulating panel
Publication Date: 2019.05.01 PUREN
  • EP2855789B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2855789B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2855789B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The invention proceeds from a high-performance heat-insulating panel for a composite heat-insulating system, having at least one outwardly directed surface (12a; 12b; 12d) which has an at least substantially organic high-performance insulting material (14a, 14c) with a coefficient of thermal conductivity smaller than 0.030 W/Km. It is proposed for the surface (12a; 12b; 12d) to have at least one recess (16a; 16b; 16c; 16d) provided for accommodating a fireproof material.