Heat transfer in microsphere insulation

Abstract

The results of an investigation of heat transfer in a new type of insulation (microsphere insulation) are presented. The effects of the microsphere diameter, the concentration of metallized microspheres and the residual gas pressure on the thermal conductivity of the insulation were investigated. Measurements were made of the thermal conductivity at 77 to 300 K of microspheres with differing diameters (e.g. 95, 130 and 270 μm) and of samples with silver metallized microsphere concentrations of 7 and 32%. Measurements of average thermal conductivity (77–296 K) were made at residual gas pressuresk(p) in the range from 10−3 Pa to 105 Pa for pure nitrogen. The component of heat transfer by gas,k gc (p), was estimated.