Thermal Insulations

Prof. Dr. Saiful Huque

Institute of Renewable Energy
University of Dhaka 19-112013

What is thermal Insulation

Thermal insulation are material or
combination of materials that help
retard the flow of heat energy by
conductive, convective or radiation
mode of heat

Types of thermal insulation

They can be of several types
Fibrous
Particulate
Film
Block
And composites of these materials

Application of thermal
insulation
Conserve energy by reducing heat loss and
gain
of structure and ducts
Control surface temperature of structure for
comfort
Prevent vapor condensation on surfaces
having
temperature below the point temperature of
the surrounding atmosphere

Application of thermal
insulation
Reduce temperature fluctuation within an
enclosure when required heating or
cooling is
not available
Reduce temperature variations within a
conditioned space for increased personal
Comfort

Thermal insulation can

serve extra
Add structural strength to wall ceiling or floor
Provide support to surface finish
Impede water vapor transmission and air
Infiltration
Reduce noise and vibration

Limiting material of thermal

insulation
The own survival temperature is
considered as
second selection criteria after primary
criteria
Like consideration of low thermal
conductivity

Based on origin thermal

insulation material can be
categorized into three
categories
1
inorganic or fibrous or
cellular
like glass wool, rock wool,
slag wool, calcium silicate
bonded perlite, Vermicular or

Category of thermal
insulation
2
Organic fibrous material like
cellulose, cotton, animal hair, wood
pulp, cane or synthetic fibers and
organic cellular materials such as
cork, foamed rubber, polystyrene,
polyurethane and other polymers

Category of thermal
insulation
3
Metallic or metallic organic reflective
membrane.
These surfaces must face an air, gas
filled or
evacuated space to be effective.

Properties of Insulating
materials
Physical properties:
Loose fill insulation
Insulating cement
Flexible and semi rigid insulation
Rigid material
Reflective material
Foam-in-place insulation
Accessory materials

Properties of Insulating
materials
Thermal properties:
Thermal resistance and insulation
Thermal conductivity
The R-value:
Conductance of a material C = k/L where
k and L are thermal conductivity and
thickness of insulating material.

Properties of Insulating
materials
The R value of the insulation is defined as
R = 1/C = L/k it means for obtaining a
higher R-value of insulation, either more
thickness of insulating material or a
material of low conductance should be
used.
Names like R11, R-12 represent ratio of
thickness and thermal conductivity in
BTU system of units

Properties of Insulating
materials
Mechanical properties:
Some insulation materials have sufficient
structural strength to act as load bearing
members. Mechanical properties vary with
basic composition such as density,
composition,
cell size, fiber diameter and orientation,
type
and amount of binder and temperature

Properties of Insulating
materials
Health and safety:
Most thermal insulations have good resistance
to potential risk to health, such as fire, vermin,
rot, objectionable odors and vapors.
Potential risks from insulation material can be
put into two categories :
Risk related to storage, handling and
installation
Risks that can occur after installation e.g. Aging

Properties of Insulating
materials
Health and safety:
Potential health effects range from temporary
Irritation to serious changes in body functions.
Manufactures recommendations and
government codes must be concerned before
using insulating materials.

Properties of Insulating
materials
Acoustics:
Some thermal insulation materials can also
serve purpose of acoustic control.
Acoustic efficiency depends upon physical
structure of the material. Materials with open
porous surfaces have sound absorption
capability. Sound absorption insulation
material
are installed on interior surfaces.

Factors Affecting Thermal

Performance Of Insulation
Materials
Physical Parameters
Environmental parameters
Surface conductance
Air Cavities For Insulation

Insulation practices
Selection of insulation in buildings is based
upon
thermal properties of materials, space
availability, compatibility of materials with
adjacent materials and interior and exterior
climatic conditions.
Insulation practices differ from the type of
basic
construction

Insulating materials
Wood Frame
Steel Frame
Concrete block
Fire brick

Insulation can reduce operating cost

and size of the cooling system
significantly

Thank you