Technical insulation: Thermal insulation of equipment

In the context of energy-climate issues, with global warming and the reduction of fossil fuel sources, major actions to save energy and limit greenhouse gas emissions must be taken in all sectors. International studies show that the insulation of industrial plants and building equipment leads to significant energy savings, and therefore to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. In France, this sector is known as calorifugeage. The equipment insulated includes pipes, tanks, cisterns, heating and cooling systems, and so on. Although the physical principles are identical, there are major differences with the thermal insulation of building walls.

Insulation is the thermal insulation of installations where cold or hot fluids circulate or are contained. It is used on many industrial and service sites. It can also be found on thermal equipment in buildings.

It is essential to understand what lagging is, its aims, its basic concepts and how to approach a thermal insulation study of equipment using practical examples.

Calculation formulas are covered only briefly, as software (CaloXPert) and standards ( NF EN ISO 12241 , VDI 2055-1 , ASTM C680 ) that describe them (cf. [Doc. BE 9 850]). Today's insulators are complex products, combining conduction, convection and radiation phenomena, so we won't go into the specific physics of these products in detail.