| 摘要 |
A thermally insulated liquid storage vessel 11 of which the insulation comprises a coating 12 of an insulating material comprising glass microspheres in an aerogel matrix. The coating may be applied directly as a paint which may be water-based to a surface of the vessel. The coating may also be applied to a plastic film 14 comprising of an electrically conductive film constituting a resistance heater to heat the vessel. The conductivity of the film is as the result of inclusions such as grapheme, carbon black or other forms of carbon. The film may be in the form of a sheet or ribbon. The sheet may have opposed edges comprising of terminals for the supply of current (fig.2). A tape having endwise terminals 15 may be wrapped helically around the vessel. The vessel may be a domestic hot water tank controlled by a smart thermostat or may be any liquid container, including flasks for beverages, cryogenic vessels and other laboratory or clinical equipment, and such vessels may also incorporate a heating film or even a thermoelectric or Peltier effect cooling element. A safety cut-out may be provided to prevent overheating if there is a loss of water from the tank. |
