Cryogenic Superinsulation
Beyond Gravity is the leading European supplier of standard and tailormade set-ups for Multi Layer Insulation products for spacecraft, research and global market leader of superinsulation for cryogenic medical systems.
Beyond Gravity is a leading developer and manufacturer of cryogenic superinsulation for a variety of applications, including helium liquefiers, superconducting magnets, liquid gas tanks, and infrastructure. With over 30 years of experience in the field, Beyond Gravity has gained great expertise in designing and producing cryogenic insulation that meets the most demanding requirements.
Beyond Gravity's cryogenic insulation development and production process includes:
- Thermal and mechanical engineering
- Layout and design
- Production and integration
Beyond Gravity also offers a variety of value-added services, including:
- CAD design (3-D and 2-D)
- Prototyping and support during first installation
- Production of standard and tailor-made products, as well as build to print
- Acceptance of customer drawings and blanket shape definitions in DXF, IGES, or STEP format
Beyond Gravity is certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and EN 9100 by DNV, demonstrating its commitment to quality and continuous improvement.
COOLCAT Multi-Layer Insulation (MLI) for Cryogenic Applications
Beyond Gravity's COOLCAT line of multi-layered thermal insulation products is designed specifically for cryogenic applications. We offer standard and tailor-made insulation solutions, made with aluminized polyester foils interleaved with polyester spacer materials or aluminum foils interleaved with glass spacer materials. We also supply welding protection materials and tapes.
Laser Cutting of Polyester Superinsulation
To precisely cut polyester superinsulation blankets to shape, we use numerically controlled (NC) laser cutting machines. This process assembles the multi-layered package around its cutting edges, using bridges of molten polyester to hold the edges together. Laser cut edges are open for edge pumping.
Our NC laser cutting machines can accommodate a maximum width of 2.7 m and length of 3.0 m, which does not limit the length of individual superinsulation blankets. This method of producing polyester superinsulation is very efficient, as no additional assembly of the layers (pins, staples, welding points or similar) is required to create a robust blanket with excellent handling properties.
Superior Performance of COOLCAT Insulation
COOLCAT insulation is made with high-quality materials and construction methods, resulting in superior performance in cryogenic applications. Key features include:
- High-quality polyester film, 6 or 12 μm thick, double-sided aluminized at minimum 40 nm (400 Å)
- Reflector foils separated with pure polyester spacer material
- 10 layers of foil and 10 layers of spacer combined as a semi-finished insulation lay-up, ready for cutting
- Insulation perforated for complete evacuation of the vacuum chamber
- Insulation designed based on CAD models and cut accurately on the numerically controlled laser cutting machine
- Insulation easy to handle due to laser cut edges
- Insulation performance long-term stable, no degradation due to spacer material, no flattening, limited gravitational compression, no severe compression effect over edges
- Very high reproducibility of performance in serial production
COOLCAT Products
COOLCAT insulation is available in a variety of solutions to meet the specific needs of your application. Download our detailed brochure or contact us today to learn more about our COOLCAT line of multi-layered thermal insulation products and how they can benefit your cryogenic application.
COOLCAT 2 NW
COOLCAT 2 NW is a spacered superinsulation composed of 10 layers of polyester foil, double-sided aluminized, perforated and interleaved with 10 layers of non-woven polyester spacer material. Due to its high thermal performance and good handling properties, it is used in serial production of MRI, NMR and accelerator cryostats at an industrial scale.
COOLCAT 2 NF
COOLCAT 2 NF is a spacered superinsulation composed of multiple layers of glass fibre fleece spacer interleaved with multiple layers of 9 μm pure aluminium foil. COOLCAT 2 NF is high temperature tolerant and non-flammable. COOLCAT 2 NF was tested to and successfully met the requirements of ISO 21010 Cryogenic vessels – Gas/materials compatibility, Section 4.4.4 Insulation Test, which is based on EN 1797. For example it has been used for the thermal insulation of automotive cryogenic hydrogen storage tanks.
COOLCAT 2 LOX
COOLCAT 2 LOX is a spacered superinsulation composed of 5 layers of pure aluminium foil interleaved with 5 layers of glass fibre cloth spacer. COOLCAT 2 LOX is high temperature tolerant and liquid oxygen compatible: COOLCAT 2 LOX was tested to and successfully met the requirements of ISO 21010 Cryogenic vessels – Gas/materials compatibility, Section 4.4.4 Insulation Test, which is based on EN 1797. The glass fibre spacer has been de-sized and heat cleaned. The insulation is free of organic constituents. Glass fibre diameter: 5 μm (non-respirable).
COOLCAT 2 NI
COOLCAT 2 NI is a spacered superinsulation composed of 10 layers of polyester foil, single-sided aluminized in squares of 10 mm x 10 mm or double-sided aluminized in squares of 20 mm x 20 mm, interleaved with 10 layers of non-woven polyester spacer material. COOLCAT 2 NI minimizes eddy currents and still offers a high thermal performance. It has been developed for applications where the insulation is exposed to varying magnetic fields.
COOLCAT H
COOLCAT H is a welding protection made of aluminium foil and fiber-glass cloth. It is recommended for the protection of polyester superinsulation against welding heat. This welding protection is needed because the polyester superinsulation is flammable and melts at 250 degrees Celsius (523 K).
COOLCAT 4K
COOLCAT 4K is a low absorptance helium vessel laminate for thermal insulation of cold masses at 4K. It is a laminate of a 6 μm pure aluminium foil and a 12 μm polyester foil, double-side aluminized.
COOLCAT 1050
COOLCAT 1050 is a high purity, low absorptivity aluminum tape for use in cryogenic applications. COOLCAT 1050 is applied directly onto 4K surfaces to provide lowest absorption of thermal radiation. COOLCAT 1050 is composed of an 80 μm high purity (99.5 %) aluminum foil carrier and a pressure sensitive acrylic adhesive.
COOLCAT B-R50
COOLCAT B-R50 is a low emissivity adhesive tape optimized for use under cryogenic environment. It is composed of a 25 μm polyester foil carrier, double-sided aluminized and a high purity pressure sensitive acrylic adhesive.
