Vacuum Panels
I may have addressed this in prior posts, though since then I have done a little digging throughout youtube and found that it is possible to make a concentrated solar water heater for a home:
https://youtu.be/EaBdsks41A4
and that solar water heaters using vacuum flask techniques already exist and have existed for a while:
Solar Water Heaters with Vacuum Tubes
Though higher temperatures would be achievable if the entire water tank were also vacuum flasked.
Here are some possibly new ideas, why not make a vacuum flask wall panel for insulation? I have heard rumors that militaries around the world may use vacuum panels to make sure that sound cannot be picked up at a distance. So I thought why not use this for insulation.
The reason why vacuum is a great insulator is because heat is conducted through 3 primary means:
1. Convection:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convection
2. Conduction:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_conduction
3. Radiation:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiation#Thermal_radiation_(heat)
In a vacuum situation the only means that heat can travel is through the form of radiation. The wikipedia article states that radiative losses can be problematic if hot liquids are stored in the flask. Though this can be addressed through the use of a highly reflective silvered coating on the surface opposite the hot surface and of course through the use of multiple vacuum flasks.
(Many of these problems have already been addressed by space programs around the world. The storage of large amounts of low temperature liquids and insulation from very high temperatures has been solved. Just think reentry with the former space shuttle used tiles to insulate the crew from very high temperatures outside)
So, if a large rectangular panel, say 10 - 15 feet high is constructed with a vacuum flask inside:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_flask
Then it will drastically reduce the amount of heat entering or leaving through that panel. Clearly the panel will have to be supported at the edges so there may be some heat loss or entry through the edges. This problem is similar to that of insulated windows:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulated_glazing
The top and bottom edges of the vacuum panel could be buried in the ground and in the ceiling to avoid heat gain or loss. Though the vertical edges will present a problem. It may be possible to make the edges of low thermal conductivity ceramics and/or ceramic/metal mix, like the tiles on the former space shuttle. In fact just like solutions were found to address the heat entry at the edges of the former space shuttle heat tiles, we can use the same solutions to address the entry of heat on the edges of our vacuum panels.
After the vacuum panels are installed, then traditional insulation could also be installed.
This would drastically reduce the amount of heating or cooling needed in a typical residence, even in very hot or cold environments.
https://youtu.be/EaBdsks41A4
and that solar water heaters using vacuum flask techniques already exist and have existed for a while:
Solar Water Heaters with Vacuum Tubes
Though higher temperatures would be achievable if the entire water tank were also vacuum flasked.
Here are some possibly new ideas, why not make a vacuum flask wall panel for insulation? I have heard rumors that militaries around the world may use vacuum panels to make sure that sound cannot be picked up at a distance. So I thought why not use this for insulation.
The reason why vacuum is a great insulator is because heat is conducted through 3 primary means:
1. Convection:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convection
2. Conduction:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermal_conduction
3. Radiation:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiation#Thermal_radiation_(heat)
In a vacuum situation the only means that heat can travel is through the form of radiation. The wikipedia article states that radiative losses can be problematic if hot liquids are stored in the flask. Though this can be addressed through the use of a highly reflective silvered coating on the surface opposite the hot surface and of course through the use of multiple vacuum flasks.
(Many of these problems have already been addressed by space programs around the world. The storage of large amounts of low temperature liquids and insulation from very high temperatures has been solved. Just think reentry with the former space shuttle used tiles to insulate the crew from very high temperatures outside)
So, if a large rectangular panel, say 10 - 15 feet high is constructed with a vacuum flask inside:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_flask
Then it will drastically reduce the amount of heat entering or leaving through that panel. Clearly the panel will have to be supported at the edges so there may be some heat loss or entry through the edges. This problem is similar to that of insulated windows:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulated_glazing
The top and bottom edges of the vacuum panel could be buried in the ground and in the ceiling to avoid heat gain or loss. Though the vertical edges will present a problem. It may be possible to make the edges of low thermal conductivity ceramics and/or ceramic/metal mix, like the tiles on the former space shuttle. In fact just like solutions were found to address the heat entry at the edges of the former space shuttle heat tiles, we can use the same solutions to address the entry of heat on the edges of our vacuum panels.
After the vacuum panels are installed, then traditional insulation could also be installed.
This would drastically reduce the amount of heating or cooling needed in a typical residence, even in very hot or cold environments.
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