Selection of insulation and heat protection materials and their thicknesses for equipment and pipelines
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Experts, in practical work, when it comes to insulating equipment and pipelines as well as protecting them from heat, do you choose the insulation material based on the design temperature and the insulation thickness based on the operating temperature? Are there any standard requirements for this?
In principle, it is about reducing and controlling the heat loss from equipment and pipelines (which, in the case of heat preservation, refers to the loss of cold energy); this depends on the temperature of the medium inside the equipment and pipelines as well as the ambient temperature. Of course, there is also the thermal conductivity of the insulation material. For heat retention and insulation, it refers to the balance of allowable heat loss; for protection against scalding, it relates to the surface temperature requirements of the protective layer.
In principle, it is about reducing and controlling the heat loss from equipment and pipelines (which, in the case of heat preservation, refers to the loss of cold energy); this depends on the temperature of the medium inside the equipment and pipelines as well as the ambient temperature. Of course, there is also the thermal conductivity of the insulation material. For heat retention and insulation, it refers to the balance of allowable heat loss; for protection against scalding, it relates to the surface temperature requirements of the protective layer.
Isn’t there usually a table available to choose from for insulation materials and insulation thickness? So do we choose the insulation material based on the design temperature, and the insulation thickness based on the operating temperature? Instead of having to calculate it using the formula every time.
This post was last edited by zdl1966 on 2017-11-17 at 20:09. The basis for the insulation design lies in the meteorological conditions of the construction area and the requirements of the project’s production processes, with compliance to the **current standards, specifications, and general corporate standards for insulation design and construction. Design standards and specifications: General Rules for Thermal Insulation of Equipment and Pipelines (GB/T 4272-1992); Guidelines for the Design of Thermal Insulation of Equipment and Pipelines (GB/T 8175-1987); Technical Specifications for Thermal Insulation of Petrochemical Equipment and Pipelines (SH 3010-2000); Design Code for Thermal Insulation of Industrial Equipment and Pipelines GB 50264-1997
(1) For media temperatures < 350°C, glass wool products are used for insulation; glass wool felts are employed for equipment insulation, while glass wool tubes and shells are used for pipeline insulation； When the medium temperature is ≥350°C, glass fiber needle-punched fabric is used as the insulation material. 2) The thermal and waterproof layer is a polyvinyl chloride flame-retardant film with a thickness of 0.12–0.15 mm. (3) The thickness requirements for colored coated steel sheets when used as protective layer materials are as follows: ① For pipes, flat sheets with a thickness of 0.35 mm are used ； ② Horizontal equipment and vertical equipment with an outer diameter of 760 mm or less use 0.5 mm thick plates ； ③ Vertical equipment with an outer diameter of 760 mm or more, using corrugated plates 0.5 mm thick ； ④ For all irregular surfaces, such as equipment heads, pump surfaces, valve insulation boxes, and pipe fitting insulation boxes, flat plates with a thickness of 0.5 mm are used.
Generally, those using SH3010 on the 5th/6th floors give detailed answers; they’re really reliable
You are right. Generally speaking, if there are no special requirements, one can simply choose the insulation material and its thickness based on some design manual.