How does insulating glass use vacuum or gas to reduce heat transfer?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the use of vacuum or gas in insulating glass to reduce heat transfer in windows and homes. Participants explore the thermodynamic properties of vacuum, practical applications of insulation methods, and the effectiveness of air as an insulator.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the temperature of a vacuum and its potential as an insulator in windows and homes.
  • Another participant clarifies that a vacuum does not have a temperature and notes the impracticality of maintaining a vacuum for insulation due to atmospheric pressure challenges.
  • A different viewpoint suggests that a space with only black body radiation can be interpreted as a vacuum with a certain temperature.
  • Some participants assert that insulating glass, such as double glazing, already utilizes vacuum or gas to reduce heat transfer, highlighting that air is a poor conductor of heat.
  • Additional details are provided about the construction and manufacturing of insulating glass units (IGUs), including variations in glass thickness and applications.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the practicality and thermodynamic properties of vacuum as an insulator. There is no consensus on the feasibility of using vacuum in home insulation versus existing methods like double glazing.

Contextual Notes

Some claims depend on specific definitions of vacuum and temperature, and the discussion does not resolve the practical limitations of maintaining a vacuum in construction.

zuz
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What is the temperature of a vacuum? Could this be used as an insulator in windows/homes?
 
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Thermodynamically, temperature for a vacuum does not exist (there is nothing that can have a temperature).
In windows/homes it isn't practical to maintain a vacuum just for its insulating properties: withstanding the forces from the atmospherical presssure would require a massive construction.
Real vacuum flasks aren't really vacuum, they just lower the pressure between the bottles
 
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Depending on context, a space with only black body radiation is often interpreted as a vacuum with a certain temperature T.
 
zuz said:
Could this be used as an insulator in windows/homes?
 
zuz said:
Could this be used as an insulator in windows/homes?

It already is. Some window double glazing (2 sheets of glass vacuum or air between) methods already do this
Air is a poor conductor of heat

from wiki
Insulating glass (IG), more commonly known as double glazing (or double-pane, and increasingly triple glazing[1]/pane), consists of two or three glass window panes separated by a vacuum or gas filled space to reduce heat transfer across a part of the building envelope.

Insulating glass units (IGUs) are manufactured with glass in range of thickness from 3 to 10 mm (1/8" to 3/8") or more in special applications. Laminated or tempered glass may also be used as part of the construction. Most units are produced with the same thickness of glass used on both panes[citation needed] but special applications such as acoustic attenuation or security may require wide ranges of thicknesses to be incorporated in the same unit.
Dave
 

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