Green Energy - Microtherm insulation for fuel cells
Microtherm® is the preferred high temperature insulation for the major manufacturers of hot fuel cells around the world.
What is Microtherm®?
Microtherm® is a microporous insulation that is around 90% air, but the air is contained in minute cells, or pockets, that are smaller in average size than the mean free path of an air molecule. This characteristic almost completely eliminates gaseous conduction. It also means that Microtherm® is low density.
Microtherm® is made from amorphous Silica particles many thousand times smaller in diameter than a human hair. The small area of these nano sized particles which chemically bond together into long tangled chains almost completely eliminates solid conduction through the insulation.
Also present is a mineral oxide opacifier that effectively stops heat transfer by radiation by refracting penetrating waves of infra red.
Add all of these characteristics together and you have an insulation that is more efficient at blocking heat than still air!
What does this mean?
It means quite simply that Microtherm® is the best high temperature insulation available. Because it has an exceptionally low thermal conductivity across its entire operating range, it is up to four times more efficient than conventional insulation materials such as Calcium Silicate and Mineral Wool at temperatures around 1000 °C. In practical terms that means only one quarter of the insulation thickness is needed for equivalent performance!
Comparison TC chart
- Microtherm® saves energy.
- Microtherm® saves space.
- Microtherm® increases internal capacity.
- Microtherm® will not degrade with time and needs no maintenance.
- Microtherm® optimises thermal management.
Where is Microtherm® used?
Microtherm® is used around the world to insulate the outer casings of SOFC and MCFC fuel cells.
Microtherm® Slatted Panel fitted to the outer casing of a Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell to reduce the external shell surface temperature down to just 50 °C.
Microtherm® is also used to insulate reformers on all types of fuel cells.
This can be particularly difficult in small domestic PEFC units. Here, the design is frequently a complex three-dimensional shape that is virtually impossible to insulate using conventional panel or block insulations.
For these applications Microtherm® offers FreeFlow® which is a pourable granular microporous insulation – all the performance of Microtherm® but combined with the space filling ease of a freely pourable powder!
Whatever the thermal challenge, there is a Microtherm® product to solve the problem.
Balance-of-plant is made more efficient with Microtherm® products for pipes and cylindrical shapes – Microtherm® MPS, Microtherm® Slatted Panel, Microtherm® Quilted panel. All offer the unbeatable performance of a microporous insulation coupled with easy shaping and fast, simple fitting. All of these products can also be supplied in pre-shaped kits for fast, cost effective high volume assembly.
So, who uses Microtherm®?
The simple answer is – virtually all major fuel cell manufacturers around the world.
Because we work closely with designers as they develop their products we normally work within the protection of a Non Disclosure Agreement. Unfortunately this effectively stops us from naming our customers.
However, we can confirm that we are the insulation of choice for manufacturers of SOFCs and MCFCs – the hot fuel cells.
We are used widely in reformer design and also in the achievement of the most compact balance-of-plant.
We have been closely involved with the designers of fuel cells since the very start of their development programs and we are now assisting these same designers in preparing for truly cost effective volume production.
Further information can be found in our downloadable brochure 'Microtherm - insulation for fuel cell applications'.
Microtherm® - cool answers to hot problems.