Vacuum Panel Notes
Wally gave permission to share his adventures with the hi tech insulation panels he has been trying (without success) to obtain. I believe that this is relavent to this thread because retaining cold inside the box is the "other half" of the problem... once you find a way to remove heat in the first place.
(For any newer site members, Wally maintains an extensive and well-indexed and Nicely illustrated project web site of the restoration of his C+C.)
:nerd:
So here is his message about the panels:
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Hi Loren -
Feel free to post this. I was just looking at my web logs and saw the
Ericson thread on refrigeration that referenced the first phase of my
refrigeration project. I really expected to have the rest of the project
finished years ago, but I got busy with the repower, work, etc, etc, and so
forth. However, eight months ago I started to seriously work on the
refrigeration system. My 'stop gap' solution failed, forcing me to face the
final solution.
I've been rebuilding my box, and have some information that might be of
value to the folks on the Ericson list. Glacier Bay has been having serious
production problems for over six months. I ordered panels last August, and
am still waiting. I'm about to give up and use Rparts panels, but have been
waiting this long because the Glacier Bay panels have historically been the
best. Heck, I spent seven years planning this... They cost twice as much as
the Rparts panels, but the perceived value by folks I've spoken with led me
to truly believe that the actual value of Glacier Bay panels is better than
twice the cost of their competition.
However, insulation panels that don't exist are NOT have no value.
(Clearly, I'm annoyed.)
I've heard so many stories from Glacier Bay about why they cannot produce
Thermal Insulation Panels that I don't know what to believe. (Glacier Bay
moved, and bought new equipment for making vacuum panels, and had some
difficulty getting new city permits to use the equipment. Then, their
supplier for the Aerogel foam also moved and had production problems, and
haven't been able to supply core Aerogel that meets Glacier Bay's quality
standards. Yada Yada Yada.)
Actually, I don't know what to believe anymore, and my freezer/fridge area
has been a big open hole down to the hull for six months.
Glacier Bay has made a strategic move to Diesel/Electric propulsion systems,
and the CEO clearly is not focused on thermal insulation and refrigeration
systems. When I visited the factory last September, I got an impromptu tour
of the new facility and saw an entire facility focused on Diesel/Electric
propulsion, but didn't see anything about thermal insulation. That raised a
red flag for me, but to be honest I wanted them to produce my panels so
badly that I let it go and gave them the benefit of every possible doubt.
Six months later, I still have a big hole in my galley. I think I might
have to go with Rparts, but have heard a few horror stories about fragility
with their vacuum panels. I've also had email conversations with
disgruntled purchasers, but everyone who was pissed off about them also said
things that led me to believe that he/she might not have been willing to
treat the vacuum panels with the respect that the price demands.
If I go that route, I'll be encapsulating the panels with epoxy and veil/mat
as soon as possible after delivery. It's a tough decision, but I believe
that epoxy/veil/mat is a stable compound that won't outgas over time,
creating internal pressure on the vacuum panels. I'm still rethinking,
because I counted on Glacier Bay and am still thinking through the
reengineering issues.
________
Part Two:Yeah, there's more to the story. The
highest R value rigid foam is Polyisocynanurate, but it absorbs water.
Another alternative is EXTRUDED polystyrene (not expanded) which you can
find from Dow or Corning. But the R value is R5 or less. Expanded looks
like the stuff you get in a cheap cooler, and that's not good as it does
absorb water.
I'm going to surround the vacuum panels with polyiso, and encapulate the
polyiso in epoxy after letting them sit in a hot room with a dehumidifier.
(so that atmospheric moisture won't freeze and render them useless.)
Wal
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www.wbryant.com
Stella Blue
'81 C&C Landfall 38, Hull 90