In this article, I will share the requirements that materials used in the insulation of pipes carrying hot fluids should fulfill.
Insulation of pipes is necessary to prevent heat loss to the surroundings.
For instance, if the steam is conveyed through long distances to reach the point of application, heat loss will be inevitable.
Heat loss is not needed because it decreases the overall efficiency of the boiler unit or the entire power plant.
Preventing heat loss is one way of increasing the efficiency of the power plant and also using the heat energy economically.
You might like this: Type Of Heat Losses In a Steam Plant (+How To Minimize Them)
The steam from the boiler unit should be highly thermally charged if it has to handle a big load.
That is why accessories such as the superheater are used to ensure the temperature of the steam is increased to a certain point too.
There are several reasons why steam temperature may fluctuate, but insulating the pipes is going to take away one of the reasons why it happens.
You might like this: 6 Reasons Why Steam Temperature Fluctuate
Without wasting time, let me share what you should know about the requirements that insulation materials should fulfill.
These are the requirements that insulation materials used on pipe should fulfill;
1. The insulation material should have a low coefficient of thermal conductivity.
This is the first requirement that an insulation material should fulfill.
For the insulation practice to make a difference on the pipes that carry fluid of high temperatures, the coefficient of thermal conductivity should be lower.
If the coefficient of thermal conductivity is lower; this means that there will be less heat transfer from the pipes that carry the hot fluids to the environment either by conduction or radiation.
The insulation materials are used to prevent any significant heat loss to the environment; the low coefficient of thermal conductivity is what will ensure that this function is done effectively.
What will happen if the insulation materials have a higher coefficient of thermal conductivity?
When the insulation materials have a higher coefficient of thermal conductivity it’s going to be impossible to prevent the heat lost from the pipes. The conduction and radiation methods of heat transfer will be accelerated thus much heat energy will be lost to the environment.
So, before the material is chosen to be used in insulating the pipes that carry hot fluids, it should be checked and confirmed that it has the lowest coefficient of heat transfer.
This is the single property of the insulating materials that makes it to be used in the first place.
These are some of the main materials used to insulate pipes carrying hot fluids;
- 85% Magnesia.
- Asbestos fibre.
- Cork.
- Hair felt.
- Mineral wool.
- Glass wool.
- Expanded Mica.
A pipeline of high-temperature fluids can be effectively insulated by an 85% magnesia block of different thicknesses depending on the temperatures the pipes are subjected to.
85% magnesia contains other elements that help it to have its insulation property; 85% carbonate of magnesium and 15% binder.
Magnesia is mostly used to insulate pipelines that are at a temperature range of 3000C to 3500C.
When the pipes are exposed to extremely high temperatures, mineral wool material is used to insulate them since they can handle temperatures of up to 8750C.
2. It should not damage pipe material.
This is another property that an insulating material should fulfill.
The insulation material used to prevent heat loss on pipes carrying high-temperature fluids should not damage the pipe material.
What is the point of using the insulation material on the pipes if it’s going to decrease the useful life of the pipes?
These pipes have to be in good shape for a longer period before any maintenance is done.
Especially, with the fact that they convey hot fluids, they are prone to damage, and having insulation materials that destroy the pipes is going to be worse.
You might like this: 4 Effects Of High Temperature Steam On Pipes
So, the insulation materials should not damage the structure of the pipes in any way.
It should not accelerate corrosion and oxidation of the pipe or temper the strength of the pipe material.
3. The insulation material should not ruin the installed features of the pipelines.
The insulation material used should not destroy the installed features of the piping system.
If the piping system that carries hot fluids is designed with specific features that make it effective, it should not destroy that.
The insulation material should not ruin the joints and bends fixed on the pipes at any point.
As a matter of fact, the insulation material should increase the strength of the pipeline and not weaken it.
If the insulation material selected weakens the pipe installation in any way, it shouldn’t be used.
The material used to insulate the pipes should not necessitate uninstallation of the pipes at any point.
The material should easily fit on these pipes without any problems to keep their installation features effective.
4. The insulation material should resist the temperatures it’s subjected to.
The insulation material is mainly used to prevent temperature loss to the environment.
As I said earlier, the material used in insulating pipes that carry hot fluids should have a low coefficient of thermal conductivity.
This is what will ensure less heat is lost to the surroundings as the hot fluids are being conveyed through them.
The feature that enables the insulation materials to prevent heat loss it’s not the same as the one that allows them to resist the temperature that it’s subjected to.
The insulation materials should be able to resist the heat; in other terms, the heat from the pipes should not interfere with its insulation properties.
It should also not be destroyed by the temperature it will be subjected to and this is what will make the insulation material the best.
This is one of the requirements that an insulation material should fulfill for it to be effective.
5. It should be easier to wrap and remove the insulation materials on the pipes.
This is another property of insulation material that it should satisfy.
It should be easier to install the insulation material on the pipes to make the process fast and effective.
One feature that can make the installation of the insulation material easier is the part that will be easily molded and applied to the pipes.
This is what will make it easier to wrap the insulation materials on the pipe easily and fast.
If it’s easier to install the insulation material on pipes, it’s going to be easier to remove them when a part of the pipeline needs to be inspected and repaired.
It should be easier to remove the insulation materials because it helps with the quick access of the pipes during any emergencies or repairs.
6. The insulation material should have requisite mechanical strength.
Apart from all the features that insulation material should contain, it should have requisite mechanical strength.
These pipes are subjected to high temperatures; they are going to expand when the temperatures are high.
If the insulation material installed on these pipes doesn’t have mechanical strength, they are going to fall off from the lines.
This will end up allowing the heat energy of the fluid to escape to the environment.
The insulation material having enough strength is going to keep the pipeline stronger and prevent it from any mechanical damage.
The mechanical strength of the insulation material should also be checked and confirmed that it can handle the allowable thermal stresses of the pipeline.
Lastly…
These are the requirements that any insulation material used on pipes should fulfill.
It is important to insulate the pipes that carry hot fluids to save energy and increase the efficiency of the hot fluids.
If it’s steam that is being conveyed through those pipes, heat loss is going to significantly drop its thermal energy and this will end up decreasing its power.
Insulation of the pipes that carry hot fluids not only prevents heat from escaping to the environment but also strengthens the pipelines, helps with corrosion, and prevents mechanical damage to the pipes.
It’s a good idea to consider using them if one wants to secure the pipelines.
Thanks for reading, if you have any questions you should leave a comment.
See you in my next article.
