Modeling of Thermal Properties of Thermal Insulation Layered with Transparent, Opaque and Reflective Film

Abstract

The popular and effective food preservation technology based on refrigeration is not sufficient for high-quality products while undergoing logistic operations (transport and retail). One of the basic factors that affects the quality of chilled and frozen food products during storage and transport is packaging. A protective function of packaging strongly depends on the material used and its composition. There are different kinds of thermal insulation used for food packaging. One of them, proposed by the authors is a multilayer structure of insulation made of rectangular air cells. The insulation can be prepared by means of plastic film featuring various properties. The paper presents how to improve an effective material designed for food freezing and transport aiming to enhance its thermal resistance through the application of different transparency, reflectivity and emissivity of the film. Mathematical model based on heat exchange equations, including conduction, convection and radiation throughout a number of parallel internal sheets of film of multilayer structures was proposed. Thermal properties depending on different transparency, reflectivity and emissivity of the film were analyzed. The model was verified experimentally showing its compatibility and obtaining a significant influence of thermal resistance according to the type of film used to make air structures, the number and thickness of its layers as well as the gaps between internal folds. For multi-layer insulation designed for the insulation of packed frozen food in the shape of a rectangle, it was recommended to apply film transmittance as small as possible for the internal parts of the structure.