Abstract
Thermal isolation of low-temperature systems from ambient environments is a
constant issue faced by practitioners of cryogenics. For energy-efficient systems and
processes to be realized, thermal insulation must be considered as an integrated system, not
merely an add-on element. A design tool to determine the performance of insulation
systems for comparative trade-off studies of different available material options was
developed. The approach is to apply thermal analysis to standard shapes (plane walls,
cylinders, spheres) that are relatively simple to characterize with a one-dimensional
analytical or numerical model. The user describes the system hot and cold boundary
geometry and the operating environment. Basic outputs such as heat load and temperature
profiles are determined. The user can select from a built-in insulation material database or
input user defined materials. Existing information has been combined with the new
experimental thermal conductivity data produced by the Cryogenics Test Laboratory for
cryogenic and vacuum environments, including high vacuum, soft vacuum, and no
vacuum. Materials in the design tool include multilayer insulation, aerogel blankets,
aerogel bulk-fill, foams, powders, composites, and other insulation system constructions.
A comparison of the design tool to a specific composite thermal insulation system is given.