IVIS 2021 presents
Open seminar 1
Topic: Role of Vacuum Insulation Panels in the fight against COVID-19
Speaker: Dr. Roland Caps, Co-founder, va-Q-tec AG, Würzburg, Germany
Date: 30th June 2021
Time: 14:00 BST (British Summer Time)
Venue: Online seminar on Zoom
Abstract:
Reliable temperature stability is as relevant for the transport of the sensitive COVID-19 vaccine as for a wide range of products in the pharmaceutical industry. For international shipment of large quantities constant low subzero temperatures between -20°C and -70°C are necessary to ensure the effectiveness of the vaccine. During regional or the last mile distribution, storage temperatures between +4 °C to +8 °C are commonly required. Securing and maintaining the temperature of the vaccine during air and land transport of vaccines requires advanced technology, innovative processes and high-quality materials. The most efficient containers and boxes for transport are equipped with vacuum insulation panels for minimizing heat exchange with the environment. In combination with latent heat storage materials, which absorb heat during melting and release it during crystallization/freezing, vacuum insulation panels provide the best way for achieving storage times as long as a five to seven days with high temperature stability. Maintaining the insulation function throughout the lifecycle of the boxes and containers requires use of the best core materials and high barrier films for the vacuum panels in combination with efficient control processes. The effect of pore diameter of the evacuated core materials, added thermal radiation opacifiers and metalized plastic laminates in achieving these goals, will also be explained in this seminar.
About speaker:
Dr. Roland Caps completed his diploma (1982) and doctoral research (1985) in Physics from University of Würzburg, Germany. The topic of his thesis was thermal radiation in evacuated thermal insulation. He held research positions at University of Würzburg (1988) and at the research institute Hohenstein on heat and moisture transfer in clothing (1992) after which he was appointed the head of department “Thermal Insulation and Heat Transfer” of the Bavarian Institute of Applied Energy Research in Würzburg (1992 – 2001). Dr. Caps co-founded va-Q-tec AG in Würzburg in 2001 where he served as the Chief Research Officer until 2017.