Thermal Insulators' Performances in Simulated Mars Environment

Abstract

This paper describes the experimental characterization of the thermal insulation properties of a multilayer insulator (MLI) and of an aerogel. Materials characterization wasperformed to optimize the thermal control design of a small interferometer devoted to planetary observation. In order to simulate the Martian environment, tests were performed in a carbon dioxide atmosphere, with pressures between 10 and 10'' Pa and temperatures from 193 to 353 K. MU was tested at different levels of layers compression to investigate thermal insulation changes deriving from the constraining of the mechanical structure. The thermal conductivity was measured with a purposely designed guarded hot plate apparatus. Results showed that the aerogel exhibits a lower thermal conductivity for gas pressures larger than 100 Pa and that the layer compression of the MLIs does not affect the heat conduction for gas pressures above 10^ Pa.

Thermal performance measurement and application of a multilayer insulator for emergency architecture

“…1. The instrument comprises two heaters packaged respectively into an aluminium circular disk and on an external annulus [8]. The central disk provides an adjustable heat flux through the tested specimens.…”

“…number of layers, spacers material) [7,19], to the environment (interstitial gas pressure and temperature) [8], and therefore, cannot exempt from an experimental characterization.…”

Nacre‐Mimetic Nanocomposite Aerogels with Exceptional Mechanical Performance for Thermal Superinsulation at Extreme Conditions

“…At one standard atmosphere (1.0 atm, 101325 Pa), the thermal conductivity of SCQs (17.4 mW m −1 K −1 ) is much lower than that of MLIs (≈ 40 mW m −1 K −1 ) (Figure 6b). [ 29 ] Although in a thin atmosphere (0.0063 atm, 640 Pa), the thermal conductivity of SCQs (13.6 mW m −1 K −1 ) is less than half that of MLIs (≈30 mW m −1 K −1 ). Additionally, our SCQs also offer opportunities for thermal management in high humid environments or underwater conditions.…”