Vacuum Insulation Panel Welded Sealing for Water Infiltration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vacuum insulation panels face degradation due to water infiltration and increased thermal conductivity over time, especially in outdoor environments where they are exposed to wet conditions, leading to a decrease in the degree of vacuum and reduced heat insulation performance.
Innovation Solution
A vacuum insulation panel with a core material of inorganic fibers wrapped in a stainless steel outer packaging material, where the inner space is maintained in a vacuum state with a water content of 0.05 wt% or less and sealed by welding to prevent water infiltration, ensuring a surface roughness of the inner space-side surface of 0.2 µm or less.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If heat-sealing is used to seal the opening part of the vacuum insulation panel, then the sealing process is simple and inexpensive, but water infiltrates from the sealing part over time in outdoor environments, degrading the vacuum degree and increasing thermal conductivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical heat-sealing method with a welding method to seal the opening part. This substitution eliminates the water infiltration problem that occurs with heat-sealing in outdoor environments, while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through established welding technologies for metallic sealing components.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the vacuum insulation panel is exposed to outdoor wet environments, then the panel can be used in various applications including constructions and cars, but water frequently permeates the panel, causing pressure increase and vacuum degradation over time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates an inert vacuum environment inside the insulation panel by improving the sealing method to prevent water infiltration. The welding-based sealing system maintains this inert vacuum state even when exposed to outdoor wet environments, enabling reliable use in constructions, cars, and other outdoor applications without vacuum degradation.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If gas absorbent is encapsulated with core material to absorb infiltrated water, then vacuum degradation is delayed for a certain period, but the absorption capacity is limited and thermal conductivity increases after the absorbent reaches saturation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the gas absorbent component from the vacuum insulation panel design. By using welding-based sealing that prevents water infiltration at the source, the system removes the need for gas absorbents entirely, achieving long-term vacuum stability without relying on limited absorption capacity.
4Ease of manufacture
If the core material contains higher water content, then the manufacturing process is simpler and less drying is required, but thermal conductivity increases and heat insulation properties degrade
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary drying action to reduce the water content of the core material before assembly and sealing. This preliminary water removal ensures low thermal conductivity and excellent heat insulation performance, while the subsequent welding-based sealing prevents any further water infiltration that would require additional drying processes.
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 maintains excellent heat insulation properties over a long period by preventing water infiltration and degradation of the vacuum state, keeping thermal conductivity close to initial levels for an extended duration.
Implementation Method 1
a peripheral part of the outer packaging material is sealed by welding
Implementation Method 2
an inner space of the outer packaging material wrapping the core material is in a vacuum state
Data Source
Figure 1~2B
Figure 3
AI summary
To maintain excellent heat insulation properties close to the heat insulation properties immediately after the manufacture for a long period of time by suppressing an increase in the thermal conductivity for a definite period of time from immediately after the manufacture of the vacuum insulation panel. A method of manufacturing a vacuum insulation panel in which a core material 1 made of inorganic fibers are wrapped with a stainless steel plate outer packaging material 2, and an inner space 3 of the outer packaging material 2 that wraps the core material 1 is made a vacuum state, in which the water content contained in the core material 1 is set to 0.05% by weight or less, the surface roughness Ra of a surface that is an inner space side of the outer packaging material 2 is 0.2 µm or less, and, with a pressure of the inner space 3 of the outer packaging material 2 held at 1 Pa or less, a peripheral part of the outer packaging material 2 is sealed by welding.