Experimental and Mathematical Analysis of Multilayer Insulation below 80 K

The Large Hadron Collider [1], presently under construction at CERN, will make an extensive use of multilayer insulation system (MLI). The total surface to be insulated will be of about 80000 m2. A mathematical model has been developed to describe the heat flux through MLI from 80 K to 4.2 K. The total heat flux between the layers is the result of three distinct heat transfer modes: radiation, residual gas conduction and solid conduction. The mathematical model enables prediction of MLI behavior with regard to different MLI parameters, such as gas insulation pressure, number of layers and boundary temperatures. The calculated values have been compared to the experimental measurements carried out at CERN. Theoretical and experimental results revealed to be in good agreement, especially for insulation vacuum between 10-5 Pa and 10-3 Pa.