Heat Exchangers

Prof J F Kanyua

Module VII: Insulation

Definitions

Insulator: Electrical obstruction

Thermal Obstruction

Dielectric: Energy storing capacity

Thermal Insulator: Reduced heat transfer between objects

Conductor: A material which transmits energy

Thermal Conductor: A material which conducts heat

Electrical Conductor: A material which conducts electricity

Insulator: A material which does not transmit energy

Thermal insulator

Electrical insulator

Acoustic Conductor

Acoustic Insulator

Dielectric

This is an insulating material or very poor conductor of electric

current.

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When a dielectric material is placed in an electric field,
practically no current flows in them. This is because unlike
metals, they have no loosely bound (or free) electrons that can
drift through the material.

Instead, electric polarization occurs.

Application of thermal insulation Slabs

Thermal insulation slabs serves the following purposes:

1) Reduce heat loss from buildings during cold seasons

2) Reduce heat gain into buildings during hot seasons
3) Reduce heat loss from buildings due to low night
temperature
4) Reduce heat gains from buildings due to high day outside
temperature
5) Reduce artificial heating during winter
6) Reduce artificial cooling during summer
7) Reduce heat transfer from or to processing equipment
8) Reduce heat transfer from/to cold storage room and
equipment (eg refrigerators, freezers, etc)

For buildings, heat insulation is installed to reduce heat

transfer through windows, doors, roofs, walls, floors.

In many cases materials used for thermal insulation do not

serve any other purpose than to save energy.

Cladding: This is the application of a protective skin over

another material (say thermal insulation) to provide protection
from:

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  Damage by people
 Damage by equipment
 Damage by weather (heat moisture etc)
 Damage by chemicals in the air

Cladding provides a certain amount of thermal insulation.

Desirable Properties of Thermal Insulation Slabs:

1) Relatively high specific heat capacity 𝑄𝑄 = 𝐶𝐶𝑝𝑝 (𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚)(∆𝑡𝑡)

If 𝐶𝐶𝑝𝑝 is high the temperature rise for a given heat absorption

is low. Ie material will absorb more heat before the material
becomes hot. Ie high 𝐶𝐶𝑝𝑝 provides a high thermal mass.

2) Chemical stability
3) Physical stability
4) Density (𝐾𝐾𝐾𝐾⁄𝑚𝑚3 ). High density means high thermal mass
and low thermal diffusivity.
5) Thermal diffusivity: ability to conduct thermal energy
relative to ability to store thrmal energy.
Let 𝑇𝑇𝑇𝑇 = 𝛽𝛽
𝑘𝑘
𝛽𝛽 =
(𝜌𝜌)�𝐶𝐶𝑝𝑝 �

𝑘𝑘: 𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤⁄𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚𝑚⁄°𝑘𝑘
𝜌𝜌: 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘⁄𝑚𝑚3
𝐶𝐶𝑝𝑝 : 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘⁄𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘⁄°𝑘𝑘

𝑚𝑚2
∴ 𝜌𝜌 =
𝑠𝑠

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6) High Mechanical strength
7) Fire resistance
8) Easy to form different shapes
9) Should not absorb water
10) Large dielectric strength
11) Resist high temperature
12) Stable chemical composition
13) Stable physical composition
14) Low thermal expansion coefficient
15) Low thermal conductivity
16) High constant coefficients (metal/insulation, insulation
layer to next insulation layer)
17) Reasonable radical expansion and elongating wit
temperature
18) High electrical resistivity
19) Chemical stability
20) Low thermal conductivity
21) Corrosion resistance
22) Chemical resistance
23) Resistant to moist air and water vapour
24) Low specific heat
25) High thermal contact coefficient
26) High thermal diffusivity

Application of slab insulators

a) Exterior walls of buildings

• Outside surface
• Inside surface

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b) Interior walls of buildings (partitions)
c) Building doors and windows
d) False ceilings
e) Floors
f) Coldrooms
g) Cold storage
• Refrigerators
• Chest freezers
h) Aircrafts
i) Cargo trucks
j) Rail cargo containers
k) Shipping
• Cold storage containers
• Passenger cabins
• Coldrooms
• Etc

Application of annular insulators

1) Petroleum pipelines
2) Geothermal steam/water pipelines
3) Aircrafts
4) Ships (cold water , hot water , liquid fuels etc)
5) Hot water pipework
6) Steam pipework
7) Catering equipment
8) Etc

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