Although vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) are thermal insulators with very low center-of-panel thermal conductivity, their effective thermal conductivity is raised significantly due to large edge heat fluxes caused by a continuously enveloping high barrier laminate, especially if metal based foils are applied. This study therefore presents and validates two analytical approximating models for calculating this thermal edge effect for thin high barrier laminates around VIPs. A comparison of these models with numerical simulations shows that they can be applied with an inaccuracy of <5% for idealized barrier laminates, considering the limitations specified. These models also demonstrate that the linear thermal transmittance, representing this edge effect, amongst others depends on envelope thickness and thermal conductivity, panel thickness, and center-of-panel thermal conductivity. Moreover, this study shows that these models are able to estimate the linear thermal transmittance resulting from more realistic VIPs with seams near their edges, as well. For these realistic panels, deviations between numerical data and prediction model maximally amount to about 9%. Using the presented models then, enables VIP designers, architects, and building engineers to estimate the overall thermal performance of a VIP.
Although vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) are excellent thermal insulators, edge effects decrease their overall thermal performance. Moreover, they are often used with protections, such as integration into a panel. These panels typically use spacers that cause a significant additional thermal bridge. The effect of this thermal bridge is either determined accurately with numerical simulation tools or estimated with simple thermal resistance networks. The first approach is laborious, while the latter approach lacks accuracy. This study therefore presents and validates an analytical approximation model for calculating this thermal edge effect. A comparison of this model with numerical simulation shows that it can be applied with an inaccuracy of <10%. The total inaccuracy, however, also includes an error due to the schematization of the edge of the building panel. Yet, this model appears to be very useful for estimation of the linear thermal transmittance of the edge of building panels.
Because of a necessity for sustainability and thus for a reduction of the amount of primary energy generated with fossil fuels, vacuum insulation panels (VIP)
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