Insulation for a Boiler Room 1

[Teguci]

A client is asking us if it is OK to remove an existing insulated metal wall panel and replace it with a non-insulated metal wall panel. This panel forms the south wall of a boiler room for a trash to energy facility.

In the winter the room stays at 90 F. Summer reaches 140 F.
The facility is rarely completely shut down so damage due to icing is not a problem.
There is a lot of condensation. This is what damaged the original wall panel and helped it to fail (internal rusting).

What other questions should I be asking?
Can a cooler room be bad for the boiler or its equipment?
Other facilities like this have no insulation. Any thoughts?

Thanks,

 

[21121956]

Hello everybody:

Teguci, I beg your pardon because I am posting not to answer your questions, instead of that I wonder if you have heard about Tegucigalpa?

Regards

 

[Teguci]

yup - been there. Seemed like a unique name.

 

[21121956]

Hello everybody:

Teguci, In view that nobody has answered your questions, I courteously suggest to you look for information in

http://www.steamforum.com/,

that is a very good site and, certainly, it is so easy to get subscription.

Good luck!

 

[vpl]

Teguci

I'm presuming the temperatures you gave are for the inside of the room rather than outside temperatures. You would need to look at what the effects would be based on outside temperature. Doing a heat transfer balance across the wall for both insulated and uninsulated cases would let you know what the effect is. If you're in a cold climate, you might not be able to maintain that 90ºF winter temperature; if you're in a hot climate, the boiler room temperature could easily exceed that 140ºF in the summer.

You might want to ask your customer if there is any instrumentation in the boiler room. Instrumentation often has upper temperature limits. Also is the south wall of the boiler room directly to the outside or is it to another room? If it's to another room, then you're going to need to check that it doesn't get too hot (though it will help mitigate any concerns about the boiler room getting too hot or cold.)

Finally, the condensation problem may not go away just because the insulation is removed. If water vapor is being produced as part of the combustion process, there needs to be a place for it to go. If there isn't, it will stay in the room, and the metal panel will still rust.


Patricia Lougheed

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