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Skip, rusty is a temperature measurer NOT a design engineer. If rusty were
correct, all that pink insulation you see in Home Cheapo would not have the shiny foil backing it does. Maybe rusty has never seen insulation in HD or any place else? Rusty, thank you so much for your informed and concise presentation. It's very complete, and answers most of my questions, but generates a couple of others. Please indulge me? And, since you're spamtrapped, I can't ask you directly, but may I quote you in the various mailing lists to which I posed the same question(s)? A reflective barrier can greatly reduce the heat gain to a cool object from infrared radiation. The question is, where to put it? (exposition clipped) The bottom line: Most heat gain to a refrigerated box is through convection and conduction, not infrared radiation. There is no free ride and reflective foils will not noticeably improve the insulating qualities of the typical boat ice box. So, effectively, without a vacuum (or, at least, a free-space non-touching environment), the addtion of aluminum foil merely acts to accelerate (aluminum being an excellent heat conductor) heat transfer? Thus, for example, the foil-faced building insulation products are no better than the level of vacuum behind them? I'd been migrating to the thought of layering heavy foil between the highest R-value foam I could find, and then doing a heat-sealed vapor barrier wrap, evacuated to the best of my ability. However, your comments suggest that's a waste of time. I *think* I understand you to say that foil is counterproductive if not faced with a vacuum. If so, from that, if I'm not going to spring for the vacuum panels, simple block foam, encapsulated to prevent moisture, is the best? My box exterior (which is a single layer of roving over the hard urethane 2") is currently exposed for most of two sides. I'd thought to put foil on that exterior surface. If I understand you properly, that's counterproductive? On to the last: I can think of one place a reflective foil might help. If you had a freezer or refrigerator, with adequate vacuum or foam insulation, that had one side facing the inside of you engine room then foil on that surface facing the engine would reduce infrared heat gain to the box when running the engine. But that can also be covered with Mylar faced noise control foam with even better results. Is that like the lead foam used in noise control, nearly as expensive as heat shield :{)) ? Or is there some other noise abatement of which I'm not aware (there are probably encyclopediea worth of info of which I'm not aware!)? Is this an application where a foil-backed insultion board would help? Thanks again for your knowledgeable input. L8R Skip and Lydia Rusty O -- Morgan 461 #2 SV Flying Pig http://tinyurl.com/384p2 "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain |
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