Thermal insulation

Institute for Technical Physics Holger Neumann

Dont be afraid of low temperatures

KIT die Kooperation von Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH und Universitt Karlsruhe (TH)

www.kit.edu

Content
Relevance of thermal insulation in cryogenics Overview of different insulation materials Multi-layer insulation (MLI) Superinsulation
Description Heat transfer calculations Special characteristics Example: Thermal insulation development for a flexible cryogenic line

Conclusions

Thermal insulation | H. Neumann | March 2009 KIT die Kooperation von Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH und Universitt Karlsruhe (TH)

Relevance of thermal insulation in cryogenics

Cryogenics T = TEnvironment TFluid great value latent heat are very small needed energy input for generating low temperatures is very high (Carnot)
C = TFluid TEnvironmen t TFluid

Example 1: The efficiency of a 4.4 K-refrigerator is about 10% of the CarnotCoefficient of Performance (COP) = 0.0015 The heat load of 100 W at 4.4 K requires a power input of about 70 kW

Example 2: 1000 litres-vessel LHe with an evaporation rate of 1%/day decrease of the insulation quality of 10% (~ 30 mW) Increase of the operating costs of ~ 1000 /year or additional LHe-acquisition costs of ~ 2000 /year

Thermal insulation | H. Neumann | March 2009 KIT die Kooperation von Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH und Universitt Karlsruhe (TH)

Overview of different insulation materials

air (1 bar) ~ 2,6 . 10

-2

MLI

powder with small pieces of metal foils microsphere

vacuum atmospheric pressure

powder

fibreglas

foams, powders fibres

10-6.0

10-5.0

10-4.0

10-3.0

10-2.0

10-1.0

heat conductivity [W/(m . K)] between ~ 300 K - 77 K

Thermal insulation | H. Neumann | March 2009 KIT die Kooperation von Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH und Universitt Karlsruhe (TH)

Multi-layer insulation (MLI) Superinsulation Description

MLI is presently the most effective kind of thermal insulation
developed in the fifties by Peterson (Sweden) first established in the sixties by space industry

MLI consists of: reflecting layers reduction of heat transfer due to radiation spacer elements with low heat conductivity between the reflecting layers high vacuum
prevention of convection minimisation of heat conduction of residual gas

Thermal insulation | H. Neumann | March 2009 KIT die Kooperation von Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH und Universitt Karlsruhe (TH)

Multi-layer insulation (MLI) Superinsulation Description

SI-materials: reflecting layers: mostly aluminium metallized mylar films / pure aluminium foils spacer elements: mostly net of glas fibre or foils / paper or polyester / tulle or silk or unit of reflector and spacer: metallized mylar films, crinkled or embossed to reduce the contact surface between the reflecting layers without spacer elements

attention: SI-anisotropy delicate regarding installation (many bugs are possible)

Thermal insulation | H. Neumann | March 2009 KIT die Kooperation von Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH und Universitt Karlsruhe (TH)

Multi-layer insulation (MLI) Superinsulation Heat transfer calculations

& & Q overall = Qi,i +1 = (Ti4 Ti4 +1 ) (1 f) A i 1 1 + 1 Ti Ti+1

radiation

+1 2 R pi (Ti Ti +1) (1 f) A i 1 2 8 (Ti + Ti +1) reine pure Wrmestrahlung radiation Ti,i+1 s

Wrmestrahlung radiation and conduction und -leitung pure conduction reine Wrmeleitung

(Ti Ti+1) f C A i

300 275

residual gas heat conduction

T [K]

250 225 200 175 150 125 100 5 10 N 15 20 25

solid heat conduction

Thermal insulation | H. Neumann | March 2009 KIT die Kooperation von Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH und Universitt Karlsruhe (TH)

Multi-layer insulation (MLI) Superinsulation Heat transfer calculations

Thermal insulation | H. Neumann | March 2009 KIT die Kooperation von Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH und Universitt Karlsruhe (TH)

Multi-layer insulation (MLI) Superinsulation Heat transfer calculations

Thermal insulation | H. Neumann | March 2009 KIT die Kooperation von Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH und Universitt Karlsruhe (TH)

Multi-layer insulation (MLI) Superinsulation Special characteristics

influence of contact pressure optimum number of layers / density of layers
1-3: Al layers with fibre glass paper of different thickness 4: Dracon Al-metallized with glass silk tissue 5-6: theoretical values (without solid heat conduction)
mW/(m .K) 0.15

effective heat conductivity

5
0.10

6 1

3 4
x

0.05
x x

10

20

30

40

50 1/cm 60

N/D
10 Thermal insulation | H. Neumann | March 2009 KIT die Kooperation von Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH und Universitt Karlsruhe (TH)

Multi-layer insulation (MLI) Superinsulation Special characteristics

45 40 35 30 q [W/m2] 25
1,5

empirical values for different transferlines and cryostats with 20 - 50 layers MLI between RT and 80 K (winding technique on tubes and cylinders)

2,5

. . q [W/m] = q [W/m2]. .d

20 15 10 5
. . q [W/m2] with 3 blankets (RT - 80 K)
1

0,5

0 0 200 400 diameter of tube [mm] 600

800

11

Thermal insulation | H. Neumann | March 2009 KIT die Kooperation von Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH und Universitt Karlsruhe (TH)

q [W/m]

Multi-layer insulation (MLI) Superinsulation Special characteristics

9 8 7 6 q [W/m2] 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 50 100
3 blank e ts
2 b lan ke ts

Twarm = 280 K -6 p < 2 .10 mbar

only one aluminium layer (LN2)

MLI winding technique IR 300.12 MLI blanket technique open / closed symbols LHe / LN2 - experiments

1 blanket

150

200 d [mm]

250

300

350

400

12

Thermal insulation | H. Neumann | March 2009 KIT die Kooperation von Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH und Universitt Karlsruhe (TH)

Multi-layer insulation (MLI) Superinsulation Special characteristics

14

12

10

qrad=f(ewall=0.1; eshield=0.03; TW =300 K; TC=77 K) IHI: Jacob IHI: FZK IHI: Ohmori [1992] Jehier: FZK, TESSI mit d=320 mm Jehier: FZK, THISTA mit d=219 mm

8 q [W/m2]

0 0 10 20 N
13 Thermal insulation | H. Neumann | March 2009 KIT die Kooperation von Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH und Universitt Karlsruhe (TH)

30

40

50

Multi-layer insulation (MLI) Superinsulation interim conclusion

Superinsulation only meets this expression and expenditure if several possibilities of errors could be avoided Important quasi-isothermal parting points Avoiding of gaps causes disproportionately high heat transfer Avoiding of mechanical stress causes exponentially increase of degradation with p Relation between heat conduction and radiation = f(T)
MLI is especially effective at high temperatures MLI is less effective or disadvantageous at T < 100 K

optimal layer density vacuum conditions

perforated layers MLI with integrated getter materials
14 Thermal insulation | H. Neumann | March 2009 KIT die Kooperation von Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH und Universitt Karlsruhe (TH)

Multi-layer insulation (MLI) Superinsulation Example: Thermal insulation development for a flexible cryogenic line
Requirements on a economic applicable HTS-cable

W m2

& 300K 80K q

W m2

compact design insulation = 20 mm

1 10 4

W W Isolation 2 10 4 m K m K

The use of MLI is mandatory

15

Thermal insulation | H. Neumann | March 2009 KIT die Kooperation von Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH und Universitt Karlsruhe (TH)

Multi-layer insulation (MLI) Superinsulation Example: Thermal insulation development for a flexible cryogenic line
protective outer PE-jacket

state of the technology

spacer multilayer insulation superconducting cabel

multilayer insulation vacuum

LHe

vacuum welded tube (130/143 mm) welded tube (198/220 mm)

welded tube returned (60/66 mm) GHe welded tube (100/110 mm)

& /m = 4,55 W/m Measurement results: Q

16 Thermal insulation | H. Neumann | March 2009 KIT die Kooperation von Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH und Universitt Karlsruhe (TH)

corresponding

& = 8,52 W/m 2 q

Multi-layer insulation (MLI) Superinsulation Example: Thermal insulation development for a flexible cryogenic line
Improvement actions Separation of MLI and supporting structures Solid heat conduction of the supporting structures as low as possible small contact areas and cross sections low heat load at the disconnecting points

17

Thermal insulation | H. Neumann | March 2009 KIT die Kooperation von Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH und Universitt Karlsruhe (TH)

Multi-layer insulation (MLI) Superinsulation Example: Thermal insulation development for a flexible cryogenic line
New concept
supporting rings bars

vacuum between the welded tubes

protective outer PE-jacket

multilayer insulation HTSC-cable (cooled with LN2 )

18 Thermal insulation | H. Neumann | March 2009 KIT die Kooperation von Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH und Universitt Karlsruhe (TH)

welded tubes

Multi-layer insulation (MLI) Superinsulation Example: Thermal insulation development for a flexible cryogenic line
New concept
outer welded tube multilayer insulation bar supporting ring

inner welded tube with HTSC-cable

contact-points

part of the welded tube floating-support systems

19

Thermal insulation | H. Neumann | March 2009 KIT die Kooperation von Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH und Universitt Karlsruhe (TH)

Multi-layer insulation (MLI) Superinsulation Example: Thermal insulation development for a flexible cryogenic line
New concept

outer welded tube multilayer insulation

supporting rings

vertical connection of the longitudinal bars

longitudinal bars

}
inner welded tube about 1.0 m about 0.1 m symmetry line

evacuated space

longitudinal cross section of the insulation of the HTSC-cable

20

Thermal insulation | H. Neumann | March 2009 KIT die Kooperation von Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH und Universitt Karlsruhe (TH)

Multi-layer insulation (MLI) Superinsulation Example: Thermal insulation development for a flexible cryogenic line
Experiments

21

Thermal insulation | H. Neumann | March 2009 KIT die Kooperation von Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH und Universitt Karlsruhe (TH)

Multi-layer insulation (MLI) Superinsulation Example: Thermal insulation development for a flexible cryogenic line Nexans spiral support structure GfK-support structure
Experiments

straight without weight

Nexans: straight without weight Nexans: bended without weight Nexans: straight with weight GfK-support structure:straight with weight GfK-support structure : straight without weight GfK-support structure : bended without weight spiral support structure: straight with weight spiral support structure : straight without weight

102
8 7 6 5 4

straight with weight (lead rod)

qk [W/m ]

3 2

101
8 7 6 5 4 3 2

bended without weight

10-5

10-4

10-3 p [mbar]

10-2

10-1

100

22

Thermal insulation | H. Neumann | March 2009 KIT die Kooperation von Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH und Universitt Karlsruhe (TH)

Multi-layer insulation (MLI) Superinsulation Example: Thermal insulation development for a flexible cryogenic line straight without weight
Experiments boundary condition:
Nexans

& m [ W / m2 ] q
3,70

100% = 14,41%

spiral support structure

3,17

85,59% = 32,70%
GfK-support structure

2,49

67,30%

23

Thermal insulation | H. Neumann | March 2009 KIT die Kooperation von Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH und Universitt Karlsruhe (TH)

Multi-layer insulation (MLI) Superinsulation Example: Thermal insulation development for a flexible cryogenic line straight with weight
Experiments boundary condition: (lead rod)
spiral support structure

& m [W / m ] q
6,60

~ 430 N/m 139,83% = 39,83%

Nexans

4,72

100% = 34,32%
GfK-support structure

3,10

67,30%

24

Thermal insulation | H. Neumann | March 2009 KIT die Kooperation von Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH und Universitt Karlsruhe (TH)

Conclusions

For cryogenics application (T < 120 K), vacuum insulation technology is mandatory For LHe (4 K) and LH2 (20 K) applications, the use of the best kind of insulation, so MLI, is warrantable or just enough respectively MLI is the best kind of thermal insulation if it is used professional
improvement factors
factor 10 factors 30 100 compared to other vacuum insulation materials compared to evacuated powder insulation

further improvement factors of ~ 30 are possible by the use of evaporation enthalpy multishield-technique

MLI can be flexible adapted very compact if the accessibility is ensured

25

Thermal insulation | H. Neumann | March 2009 KIT die Kooperation von Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH und Universitt Karlsruhe (TH)

Thank you for your attention

26

Thermal insulation | H. Neumann | March 2009 KIT die Kooperation von Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH und Universitt Karlsruhe (TH)