Shingle-type, crinkled, aluminized polyethylene ester is thermally and structurally tested for cryogenic insulation. Insulation systems require thermal efficiency with minimum weight, and the ability to withstand vibration, acceleration, and rapid pressure drops

Getty, R. C.

English

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September 1970	 Brief 70-10415 
NASA TECH BRIEF 
NASA Tech Briefs announce new technology derived from the U .S. space program. They are issued to encourage commercial 
application. Tech Briefs are available on a subscription basis from the Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and Technical 
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be directed to the Technology Utilization Division, NASA, Code UT, Washington, D.C. 20546. 
Evaluation of Two Designs for Cryogenic Insulation 
S
Evaluations of the thermal and structural perform-
ances of two specially developed, multilayer, cryo-
genic-insulation systems have been reported in great 
detail. 
The use of liquid hydrogen as a fuel has created a 
demand for effective cryogenic insulation of different 
kinds of tanks. While many basic thermal data are 
available, work on the application, efficient inte-
gration, and structural evaluation of insulating sys-
tems has been limited. Such systems must be thermally 
efficient and of minimum weight, practical in appli-
cation, and able to withstand vibration, acceleration, 
and rapid pressure drops. 
Two different systems, designed for a 105-in.-di-
ameter tank but scaled down for a 29-in, diameter, 
were designed, fabricated, and tested. The first 
(model-1) was made of shingle-type, crinkled, alu-
minized polyethylene ester. A dynamic scaling anal-
ysis showed that scaling was unnecessary for either 
vibration or acoustics, but it was necessary for linear 
g loading (by a factor of 3.62) and ambient-pressure 
decay. After thermal testing, the models were subjected 
to simulated environments for evaluation of structural 
integrity, and finally retested thermally for detection 
of any degradation due to structural failure. 
Model-i failed structurally in the region of the after 
bulkhead during the centrifuge test; some of the
taping of the battens was wrongly oriented. When 
the rapid-pumpdown test revealed several areas of 
structural failure, model-I was not tested further and 
was judged unfit for specific environments without 
more structural support. Model-2 showed negligible 
structural damage during the tests, with improvement 
in thermal efficiency, and was judged thermally and 
structurally adequate. 
In separate calorimeter tests of another insulating 
material, the equilibrium heat-flux value proved to 
be roughly twice as great when the material was per-
forated than when unperforated. 
Note: 
Requests for further information may be directed to: 
Technology Utilization Officer 
Code A&TS-TU 
Marshall Space Flight Center 
Huntsville, Alabama 35812 
Reference: TSP70-10415 
Patent status: 
No patent action is contemplated by NASA. 
Source: R.C. Getty of 
General Dynamics 
under contract to 
Marshall Space Flight Center 
(MFS-14740) 
Category 03 
This document was prepared under the sponsorship of the National
	 Government assumes any liability resulting from the use of the 
Aeronautics and Space Administration. Neither the United States
	 information contained in this document, or warrants that such use 
Government nor any person acting on behalf of the United States
	 will be free from privately owned.rights.
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Evaluation of two designs for cryogenic insulation

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