Patent — available for licensing
Cryostat-500
A NASA invention available to explore as a licensing opportunity.
About this technology
Overview
NASA Kennedy Space Center seeks partners interested in the guarded flat plate insulation test cryostat (Cryostat-500), a boil-off calorimeter comprised of a flat bottom test apparatus for measuring the absolute thermal performance of an insulation test specimen. This instrument provides convenient testing of many sizes and shapes of materials, enhanced automation, and a direct route for obtaining reliable thermal performance data. Testing under conditions representative of actual-use environments including large temperature differences is also provided. The test data are presented in terms of effective thermal conductivity and heat flux. In today's world, efficient, low-maintenance, low-temperature refrigeration is taking a more significant role, from the food industry, transportation, and medical applications to commercial buildings, energy, and space exploration. Worldwide, various regulations require that commercially available insulation materials are tested and evaluated by an accepted methodology. The new Cryostat-500 method goes beyond the prior capabilities of consensus technical standards to provide testing for real systems and materials operating below ambient temperature. The Cryostat-500 covers a wide range of test environments including full-temperature differences plus full-range vacuum conditions.