Print this page Insulation Audit and the Economic Thickness of Insulation
A. Bhatia, B.E.
Course Outline
Consideration of
cost and conservation of fuel warrant a close assessment of insulation systems
in the existing installations and new projects. While placing insulation onto
a pipe or equipment is fairly easy, resolving issue such as "what type"
of insulation to use and "how much" requires understanding of various
alternatives. The first part "what type" is covered in Part-1; "Process
Plant Insulation & Fuel Efficiency" and the Part-2; "how much"
is provided in this 3-hour online course.
This course is aimed at students, energy auditors, mechanical, chemical &
process engineers, HSE engineers, contractors, environmentalists, loss prevention
professionals who are responsible for system design and operation of system.
This course
includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the
understanding of the course materials.
Learning Objective
At the conclusion of this course, the reader will be knowledgeable about:
- Assessment of thermal losses
- Thermodynamic equations governing heat transfer from flat and cylindrical surfaces
- Concept of insulation audit (instruments and measurements)
- Computation of heat losses and surface temperatures with real time examples
- Potential of energy saving opportunities
- Economics and payback analysis
- Factors affecting insulation degradation and effective maintenance practices
- Parameters affecting quality of insulation job
- Concept of economic
thickness of insulation
This course is
aimed at students at Students, Professional Engineers, Mechanical, Chemical
& Process Engineers, System Design Engineers working in Power, P&C,
Refineries, Fertilizers, Metal & Mining, Manufacturing and Engineering industries,
Energy Auditors, Operational & Maintenance Personnel, Health & Safety
Personnel and Loss Prevention Engineers.
Course Introduction
Identifying the
rate of thermal energy (heat) loss from an inadequate or uninsulated surface
is the starting point for understanding the incentive for installing thermal
insulation.
A thermal insulation thickness that satisfies an economic assessment of the
minimal cost of owning and operating a thermal system is commonly called the
economic thickness. The economic thickness pays for itself besides earning a
return over its original cost. From this definition, any changes occurring in
the prices of fuel or in the insulation cost will tend to shift the economic
thickness to another value. Therefore the insulation levels, which were uneconomical
in the year 70's, may be quite lucrative now due to drastic increase in fuel
prices in the recent years. Based on the prevailing cost structure one has to
review the entire insulation system and assess if additional insulation is necessary
to achieve optimum economy.
Safety considerations associated with systems operating at very high or low
temperatures definitely outweigh energy savings in majority of applications.
Course Content
The course content is in a PDF file Insulation Audit and the Economic Thickness of Insulation. You need to open or download this document to study this course.
Course Summary
Prevention of heat
leakage by application of insulation is the simplest method of achieving energy
conservation. With the current pricing of fuel, upgrading the insulation systems
provide opportunities for energy savings. The economics of the investment on
insulating must be examined prior to actually taking up the up gradation work.
All this is done on a systematic and scientific basis involving rigorous fieldwork
for data collection and analysis during a thermal insulation audit. The frequency
of such audit depends on the quality of preventive maintenance but it is recommended
that such detailed audits are conducted occasionally once in 3 years. For new
projects, use of right insulation materials, optimum thickness and application
practices shall be followed to fully utilize the capability of insulation.
It is important that due regard to the required levels of thermal insulation
be given at the initial design stages of process plant. In too many cases the
insulation of process plant is an afterthought. Consequently there are cases
where proper levels of thermal insulation cannot be installed.
Large financial benefits which are available to industry by preventing heat
loss through use of economic insulation, regular upkeep, and periodic audits
should be recognized and understood, and that appropriate action should be taken
to achieve them.
Related Reading
Process Plant
Insulation & Fuel Efficiency
The 4-hrs course "Process Plant Insulation &
Fuel Efficiency" describes the characteristics & type of various
insulation materials besides providing information on the application areas
and best practices.
Overview of
Refractory Materials
For high temperature applications, exceeding 1500°F, such as melting furnaces,
heat treatment furnaces, kilns, boilers etc, refractory materials in isolation
or in combination with insulation are used. Refer to course titled "Overview
of Refractory Materials" for further reading.
Quiz
Once
you finish studying the
above course content,
you need to
take a quiz
to obtain the PDH credits.
DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDHonline.com or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered professional engineer. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.
