A Novel Methodology to Predict the Long-Term Performance of Vacuum Insulation Panels (VIPs) Using Climate Data

• Main Author: Van Es, Jonathan
• Other Authors: Mukhopadhyaya, Phalguni
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2023
• Subjects: Vacuum Insulation Panels; British Columbia; Canada; Yellowknife
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1828/15804

Vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) have been a common insulating technology used in refrigeration and can help limit energy use in buildings by providing up to 10 times more insulation than typical insulation materials, all while using less wall space. This is specifically useful in places like Canada, where climates are cooler. Knowledge gaps around aging have currently prevented VIPs from being used in building envelope constructions. One of the remaining gaps of knowledge is that there is no methodology that has been created and linked to climate data to predict the actual performance of VIPs. This paper starts with discussions on various factors which influence the thermal conductivity of a VIP, relates it to the climate data of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada from 1997-2021, and proposes a methodology that can predict the long-term performance of VIPs in different climates. The proposed methodology was created in a piecewise approach, starting from constant conditions of 23 ֯C and 75%RH, moving to dynamic conditions based on climate data, and then adding the presence of a getter and desiccant. The resultant methodology produced a simplistic approach that has the potential to predict the performance of VIPs in various climate conditions. The proposed methodology shows that the thermal conductivity of VIPs remained relatively constant until either the getter or desiccant reached capacity. From there, the thermal conductivity began to increase over time. This methodology was then applied across four other (total of five) Canadian cities (Victoria, BC; Edmonton, AB; Yellowknife, NT; Ottawa, ON; Quebec City, QC), which all showed similar aging trends except for Victoria, British Columbia when reviewing ageing due to moisture content and Yellowknife, NT due to air pressure. The outputs from this methodology were also compared to the results obtained from accelerated ageing tests conducted in the laboratory, to estimate VIP parameters such as air and water vapour transmission rates, desiccant quantity, and ...