Insulation ( material and thickness )

[salar1363]

Hi everybody;

Actually this is the first time I'm making myself involved with selection of insulation (material & thickness) for piping and vessels. I wonder if there is any code or spec that recommends some criteria. I would appreciate if someone introduces/shares any related design code, Spec, link or book.
Thank you all

Regards

Salar

 

[stanier]

Download the free software from this website and learn.

http://www.pipeinsulation.org/

Contact the insulation suppliers in your country and get their technical literature. The literature will reference the relative codes. Follow the trail.

it is a very interesting field and there is a great deal of information.

You could go to

http://www.aft.com.

Download a copy of the Fathom & Arrow demo. This will enable you to do some rudimentary calculations to get a handle on things for piping heat transfer and the way different insulation types and thicknesses work.

Geoffrey D Stone FIMechE C.Eng;FIEAust CP Eng

http://www.waterhammer.bigblog.com.au

 

[salar1363]

Thank you Stanier

 

[StoneCold]

One of the greatest vessel insulation system we have stumbled on to is this. Cellular glass insulation with a welded stainless covering over the top. Stainles is probably 12 gauge. It works great for the straight sides and the bottom. Most of the time the top head is open. As you look at insulations an important thing to remember is that you want to go with a sealed insulation and jacketing system if the temperature is not constantly above 130 to 150C. Otherwise you get condensation under the insulation and that can ruin fiberglass insulation and the corrosion rate under the wet insulation is bad. Another side note is that if you are installing the insuation on stainless piping you need to have low chloride insuation. Personally I think coating the pipes before insulating them is a good idea. I have seen just a simple spray can paint job do wonders for a low tempeature insuated piping system that was really having problems.

If you come back with materials of construction, and temperatures you can probably get better help.

Good luck.
StoneCold

 

[stanier]

For chilled water piping look at Tyco Water K Flo. This is a co-extruded ABS pipe, PU insulation and ABS out sheath. Because the PU bonds to the ABS there is no vapour penetration. This is used extensively in the Middle East for chilled water applications. The product is manufactured in Australia.

This ABS pressure pipe to AS 3518 not the ABS draingae pipe used in the USA.

Geoffrey D Stone FIMechE C.Eng;FIEAust CP Eng

http://www.waterhammer.bigblog.com.au

 

[Transient1]

Probably, this is included in all those codes, but there is some insulation thickness for which the pipe will lose more heat than if it didn't have insulation, based on the surface area of the insulation and its thermal conductivity. I believe this only comes up for relatively thin insulation sleeves.

 

[athomas236]

salar1363,

If I was in your position, I would get 2 or 3 insulation suppliers or their local agents to meet with you and discuss the problem and then submit their proposals with estimated prices.

With this information, I would produce a specification and then ask for firm prices which you can then evaluate.

I would try to avoid making decisions I am not qualified or experienced to make.

Best regards,

athomas236

 

[CountOlaf]

For commercial building piping systems (e.g., heating systems such as steam, condensate, hot water; domestic water (hot and cold); and cooling systems such as chilled water and refrigerant) the building codes establish some minimum insulation thicknesses (from an effieciency standpoint only) based on the usual parameters: fluid temp range, insualtion conductivity, and pipe sizes.

My state's particular codes used to incorporate by reference the ASHRAE standard 90.1 "Energy standard for buildings except low-rise residential buildings". That's where the min. insulation thickness table was derived (I have a 2001 version). Currently, however, my state's codes incorporate by reference the International Energy Conservation Code of which I don't yet have a copy. I assume it get's it's pipe insulation table from the latest ASHRAE standard anyway (I think 90.1 is up to 2004 maybe 2007). It looks like you can view the 2004 on line without purchasing--check out page 55 for that chart.

Of course this is all irrelevant if you're trying to insulate something more process-related...

 

[stanier]

The whole aim of the software recommended above is to meet with the US government's initiative on energy saving.

http://www.pipeinsulation.org/

I suggest that the site be visited by all practitioners in this field.

Geoffrey D Stone FIMechE C.Eng;FIEAust CP Eng

http://www.waterhammer.bigblog.com.au

 

[TXiceman]

Your starting point will be to determine the dew point of the ambient air so that you can get an insulation system that will keep the insulation skin temperature above the air dew point to prevent condensation.

As suggested above, reference the ASHRAE Standard and get several insulation suppliers to talk with you.

Just remember that a lot of sales types work on the basis if if you can not dazzle them with your brillance, baffle them with BS.

Ken

Ken
KE5DFR

 

[salar1363]

I'm so thankful for the valuable info. you all shared with me

Regards

Salar