Trilobal Polyimide Fiber Insulation for Cryogenic Applications

Recent measurements have shown a record-breaking low thermal conductivity λtotal of less than 0.25 × 10−3 W·m−1·K−1 at temperatures of 120 K for an evacuated sample consisting of polyimide fibers with a trilobal fiber cross section. Existing models for the heat transport in fiber insulations cannot sufficiently describe fiber insulations consisting of fibers with non-cylindrical cross sections. In this article, a modification for the model for cylindrical fibers will be presented. The modifications for the trilobal cross section of the fiber will be explained and compared to the original cylindrical model. The results of the theoretical calculations will be discussed in comparison to experimental results of measurements performed with a guarded hot-plate apparatus at temperatures in the range from 120 K to 420 K.