A thermal performance analysis for multilayer insulation used in cryogenic equipment applications.

Reliable control and operation of the cryogenic plants at extremely low temperatures requires a cooling power source that is not affected from the total heat load of the facility or by other factors like the heat transfer obtained from the conduction, convection and radiation effects of the system. A prolific example of thermal losses due to radiation can be identified at the temperature range 300-77 K in cryogenic equipment that are more than 2 orders of magnitude greater than thermal losses at the temperature range 77-5 K. For heat leak prevention, multilayer insulation (MLI) systems are used in large-scale or industrial applications. Real-time measurements of the thermal shielding provided by different composite structures of MLI have a huge impact over the cooling power unit operation efficiency. This paper presents thermal and applied research characterization of a MLI structure described as a highly reflective foil of aluminum, interleaved with spacers to minimize conduction, having potential applications in heavy water detritiation facilities.