Freezer Insulation of R-40 per inch or better

[CaptnBry]

Its 2016 and new advances have been made in vacuum insulated panels for boat freezer insulation. At R-40/inch, these allow a 'box' to be 7INCHES thinner walled, meaning we can have good interior volume with a reasonable exterior dimensions.

These new vacuum insulated panels (VIPs) typically have a plastic honeycomb type core and a sealed plastic shrink-wrap around that. The R-40 effectiveness is great, but I can't find a supplier for individual, retail sales. The panels cannot be cut or punctured, and so must be custom made or have a set of matching pre-made panels which allow for hatch and evaporator lines.

Rparts claim to sell VIPs, but after 2 months, I can't get them to replay or respond, so I have to assume they only sell thier VIPs to OEMs.

DOES ANYONE KNOW A COMPETENT SOURCE FOR SIMILAR PANELS, PLEASE?

[SV THIRD DAY]

Glacier Corporation in Orange County California (not to be confuzed with Glacier Bay) sells VIPs.

Contact Us - Glacier

Just be sitting down when they give you the price.

As for Rparts, others have experienced this, but they are a complete mom/pop outfit and when they go on vacation they just GO and the business just sits until they get back. So it's common for them to disappear for weeks or months. Nothing new here.

[a64pilot]

Thing is they work beautifully, then one day for no apparent reason, not at all.
Were I to use them, I'd try to make it design wise that they could be replaced without tearing everything apart.


Sent from my iPad Pro using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[SV THIRD DAY]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Thing is they work beautifully, then one day for no apparent reason, not at all.
Were I to use them, I'd try to make it design wise that they could be replaced without tearing everything apart.

That's a very good point, I'm not a big fan of VIPs because I've seen way to many of them fail while a cruiser is out cruising and then what...they have to rip the entire box apart to rebuild it.

[missourisailor]

Hummmm
Very interesting!!!!!

Wonder how hard it would be to make some custom panels in my shop.
I have the equipment to draw a low pressure (vacuum) across large panels.
Even have access to un-expanded honeycomb material.

Wonder what the "R" value would be for 1/2" honeycomb sandwiched between two 1/4" foil backed foam panels, and while the entire panel is drawn down under low pressure, infused with epoxy.

Any thoughts?

[senormechanico]

I like my Aerogel fridge and hot water tank reinsulation results.
Not R40 per inch, but way better than any other foam and it won't absorb water or go dead like a VIP.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Bry.

[SV Bacchus]

I second the Welcome Aboard CF CaptnBry.

[missourisailor]

Originally Posted by missourisailor

Hummmm
Very interesting!!!!!

Wonder how hard it would be to make some custom panels in my shop.

Well after doing some research on VIP's, DYI-ing the panels doesn't seem likely. Even with the Autoclave, it doesn't seem that I can get the pressure down far enough to slow down molecular movement.

The info that I gathered are reading pressures in a format that I have never heard (Torr) of but some have stated that even 20~28 inHg is not deep enough.

So much for DYI.

[GordMay]

1 torr = 0.03937007874 inch of mercury (inHg)
➥ What is a pressure unit "torr"

[fallingeggs]

Originally Posted by missourisailor

Well after doing some research on VIP's, DYI-ing the panels doesn't seem likely. Even with the Autoclave, it doesn't seem that I can get the pressure down far enough to slow down molecular movement.

The info that I gathered are reading pressures in a format that I have never heard (Torr) of but some have stated that even 20~28 inHg is not deep enough.

So much for DYI.

I wonder what type of R value you could get with a one inch DIY panel vacuumed out via a fairly standard refrigeration vacuum pump. Even if it were 20, you'd still be doing pretty good. Install a schrader valve and one can periodically re-vacuum.

[reed1v]

Or just go with an aerogel lining, about two inches. Has about zero effective thermal conductivity. Not sure what that would translate to R values. Currently its the best insulation available and it's super light weight and ultra thin.

[kentobin]

aerogel insulation blanket has a thermal conductivity of 0.091 BTU-in/hr-sq.ft.-F at an ambient temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit, corresponding to an R-value of more than R-10 per inch. That's nearly double the insulation value of the best rigid insulation boards currently available.

Aerogel.org » What is Aerogel?

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...gel-75006.html

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by kentobin

aerogel insulation blanket has a thermal conductivity of 0.091 BTU-in/hr-sq.ft.-F at an ambient temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit, corresponding to an R-value of more than R-10 per inch. That's nearly double the insulation value of the best rigid insulation boards currently available.

Aerogel.org » What is Aerogel?

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...gel-75006.html

Not sure what that translates into for a boat box, but we did see a demo where it took about two weeks for a 4 cubic inch block of ice to melt in a 1 inch thick, one square foot aerogel box. Duly impressed. Was told the ice would not have melted if the box was 2 inches thick. Now about the price....

[CaptnBry]

Thanks all for the quick Replys and ghreetings!

Looks like the census is for Aerogel: What is the failure mode, if any for this type of freezer insulation?

The costs of Aerogel usually dictates a retreat to polyiso.
Reference SV Thgird Day at: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ce-171556.html

The plastic wrapped vacuum panels are estimated at:
18"x18" at $62.52 each
18x24 at $92.50 each.
about $500 for just over 2 cubic feet of freezer.
(Of course cutting a hatch in this stuff isnt possible, so add way UP for a hole & hatch parts.)