What's the comparative insulative R-value of a shuttle tile?

[StageLeft]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_thermal_protection_system

I was watching on TV, too, that idiot on build it bigger holding a chunk of silica after it was at 1000 or 2000 F, glowing hot inside but relatively cool to the touch. This stuff must be pretty impressive at insulating. If you had unlimited funds and blanketed a house in this stuff what would an inch of it give for R-value?

 

[techs]

You could heat your house all winter with a book of matches?

 

[sdifox]

Money no object? Vacuum Insulated Panels

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vacuum_insulated_panel

 

[StageLeft]

Those panels are pretty cool. Since heat is transferred by some kind of medium, if you had these panels kept in the dark to avoid any solar impact and the vacuum was God-blessed 100% absolutely freaking devoid of any gas or air at all, wouldn't R value in theory be infinite? R-50 per inch is impressive, I think the best foam used in residential settings is about R-7 or 8. Regular Fiberglass is about 3.5 per inch.

 

[Sea Moose]

Rubycon where are you?

 

[geno]

that idiot on build it bigger

Ok, so I'm not the only one annoyed by him.

 

[StageLeft]

Ok, so I'm not the only one annoyed by him.

The way he holds in high esteem a, for example, crane operator like he's doing the most intricate and important job ever created by humankind and at all times is a mistake (which of course he won't make) away from catastrophe and costing millions of dollars drives me up the wall. One day I'd like one of these build it bigger machines to crumble and pancake him.

 

[gophins72]

supposedly those tiles are very delicate, to the point that human hands do not touch them in fear that natural oils can get onto them via fingerprints.

 

[Eli]

Over 9000.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

The way he holds in high esteem a, for example, crane operator like he's doing the most intricate and important job ever created by humankind and at all times is a mistake (which of course he won't make) away from catastrophe and costing millions of dollars drives me up the wall. One day I'd like one of these build it bigger machines to crumble and pancake him.

He reminds me of Leonard from BBT in how he dresses/looks, but personality is more akin to a nerd who never gets laid.

 

[SphinxnihpS]

Wikipedia lists silica areogel (very close to what is on the shuttle), as R10. Eat that!

 

[ussfletcher]

Space is a very good insulator. Satellites that leave orbit must radiate heat via Infrared, no conduction or convection. Therefore, because of infrared it wouldn't be possible to insulate infinitely.

 

[Fritzo]

The way he holds in high esteem a, for example, crane operator like he's doing the most intricate and important job ever created by humankind and at all times is a mistake (which of course he won't make) away from catastrophe and costing millions of dollars drives me up the wall. One day I'd like one of these build it bigger machines to crumble and pancake him.

Actually a crane operator is a VERY skilled position. The physicis you have to figure out in your head when moving something that weighs 10 tons would make a lesser man cry. Also, if a crane is being used, what ever it's lifting is either:

a) very heavy and expensive
or
b) very heave and can cause damage that is expensive

 

[ussfletcher]

No, the engineers that design and build the crane should be held in high esteem. For it is they who sculpt the modern world.

 

[silverpig]

Those panels are pretty cool. Since heat is transferred by some kind of medium, if you had these panels kept in the dark to avoid any solar impact and the vacuum was God-blessed 100% absolutely freaking devoid of any gas or air at all, wouldn't R value in theory be infinite? R-50 per inch is impressive, I think the best foam used in residential settings is about R-7 or 8. Regular Fiberglass is about 3.5 per inch.

Vacuum is about as good as you're gonna get. For insulative purposes you can get very good vacuums here on earth such that radiation will be your main source of heat transfer, and that's pretty slow. It still won't be 100% perfect though due to the radiation.

 

[So]

Vacuum is about as good as you're gonna get. For insulative purposes you can get very good vacuums here on earth such that radiation will be your main source of heat transfer, and that's pretty slow. It still won't be 100% perfect though due to the radiation.

Most of the heat loss from a vacuum insulation panel would be through conduction in the material enclosing the vacuum.

 

[Red Squirrel]

That would be cool to use nasa grade insulation for a house.

The concept of a vacuum is cool too, but you would still lose from the material itself. Guess the only way you would not lose is if the whole thing was a box, inside another box. The small box is your house, and the big box is a vacuum. You can then use teleportation to get inside the house. No doors, no windows. Utilities like water and electricity would also use teleportation. I don't see this happening any time soon.

 

[kindest]

-1

 

[StageLeft]

Actually a crane operator is a VERY skilled position. The physicis you have to figure out in your head when moving something that weighs 10 tons would make a lesser man cry. Also, if a crane is being used, what ever it's lifting is either:

a) very heavy and expensive
or
b) very heave and can cause damage that is expensive

I didn't say it's easy but if you've seen this show you know what I'm talking about. Everything is a skilled operator away from total world implosion at all times.

 

[silverpig]

Most of the heat loss from a vacuum insulation panel would be through conduction in the material enclosing the vacuum.

I was talking more about things like dewars but yeah.

 

[ussfletcher]

If money was truly no object... you could use super powerful lasers and electromagnetic fields to control the electron motion and prevent conduction... I think.

 

[geno]

The way he holds in high esteem a, for example, crane operator like he's doing the most intricate and important job ever created by humankind and at all times is a mistake (which of course he won't make) away from catastrophe and costing millions of dollars drives me up the wall. One day I'd like one of these build it bigger machines to crumble and pancake him.

I hate his shitty, constant hand gestures.

 

[Colt45]

I don't think it's a ridiculously good insulator, just it can take a lot more heat than fibreglass or styropor.

 

[Rubycon]

Rubycon where are you?

I avoid things that fly.

That said I'm pretty sure reusable TPS components and insulation to prevent heat loss (or gain) in dwellings are definitely different purposes.

If you really want to cut back on energy losses build a house without windows and only one door.

 

[drnickriviera]

It's not necessary to use those uber materials. Look up passive house standards. Heating a house with a 1000 watt electric element.