Insulation Flashcards
What are the three main functions of insulation in industry?
- Help maintain temperature (increase efficiency)
- Sound reduction
- Preventing water condensation on cold surfaces
What are the three basic categories of insulation?
- Cryogenic
- Thermal
- Refractory
What type of insulation category would be used for temperatures below -101℃ (-150℉) to absolute zero?
Cryogenic insulation
What type of insulation category would be used for temperatures between -101℃ (-150℉) and +815℃ (+1500℉)?
Thermal insulation
What type of insulation category would be used for temperatures over +815℃ (+1500℉)?
Refractory insulation
How are cryogenic temperatures achieved (2 ways)?
- rapid evaporation of volatile liquids
- expansion of gases confined initially at pressures of 150 to 200 atm.
What is a Dewar flask?
A vessel that consists of two flasks, one inside the other separated by a vacuum.
Why is the inside of the outer flask and the outside of inner flask silvered in Dewar flasks?
To prevent radiant heat from passing across the vacuum
This type of insulation is common in cryogenic temperature ranges and is a lightweight, rigid material made up of completely sealed glass cells.
Cellular glass
What is the temperature range of cellular glass?
-273℃ to +482℃
This type of insulation can be identified by its dark colour and a rotten egg, sulphur smell when cut.
Cellular glass
What precautions need to be taken when handling cellular glass?
It is extremely abrasive
Wear gloves when handling it.
This type of insulation consists of approximately 50 to 100 layers per inch of aluminized mylar, and finds use as insulating blankets to shield people and equipment from radiation heat loss to space.
Super insulation
____ temperature thermal insulation applications include chilled water, direct refrigeration systems, and indirect refrigeration systems (brine).
Low
____ temperature thermal insulation applications include steam, hot fluids, and steam condensate.
Intermediate
____ temperature thermal insulation applications include turbine, chimneys, incinerators, and boilers.
High
While there is no perfect insulation, a thin layer of air resists the flow of heat about ____ times better than a good metallic conductor of the same thickness.
15,000
Why must the air pockets inside of insulation be small?
To prevent convection
If the air pockets are large, convection would take place, and transfer heat across the air gap.
What are the three categories of thermal insulation?
- fibrous
- cellular
- granular
These classifications are based off of how the insulation is made.
This type of thermal insulation is made from long, small diameter fibres that divide the air into tiny compartments, with the fibres being either perpendicular or parallel.
Fibrous thermal insulation
This type of thermal insulation uses the principle of dividing air pockets into tiny compartments, but does it with small individual cells separated from each other.
Cellular insulation
Foamed-in plastics such as polystyrene and polyurethane (Styrofoam) are examples of ____________ thermal insulation
cellular