Thermal insulation constitutes the largest portion of insulation used in oil and gas facilities or industrial plants. The purpose is to preserve the temperature of pipes and process equipment to ensure stable operating conditions, conserve energy, and prevent condensation and ice formation on cold equipment.
Thermal insulation can be divided into various subcategories based on the specific criteria and objectives underlying the design of the insulation.
The most common classes are:
Heat conservation is used where one wants to preserve the heat in pipes, tanks, or process equipment because it is beneficial for the process, or to save energy for heating purposes.
Cold conservation is used where one wants to preserve the cold temperature in pipes, tanks, or process equipment because it is beneficial for the process, or to save energy for cooling purposes. Cold insulation is always installed with a vapor barrier on the warm side to prevent moisture ingress and ice/condensation formation.
Personnel protection is used to prevent the temperature of equipment from exceeding 70°C in areas where people frequent to avoid the risk of burns upon contact. With personnel protection, heat loss itself is not of significance.
Frost protection is used to prevent processes from falling below a critical temperature where the contents in the pipes freeze or result in wax formation. This is often about ensuring safety in case of operational downtime, and heating cables are often installed on pipes and equipment in this class as an additional measure.
Condensation insulation involves insulating pipes and equipment to prevent condensation formation as a result of the operating temperature in the pipes or equipment being colder than the dew point in the surroundings. Similar to class 3, heat loss or heat input itself is not relevant here. The objectives are solely to avoid condensation.
Beerenberg offers a wide range of both proprietary and external thermal insulation products designed to reduce energy loss in process equipment, preserve cold mediums, or protect mediums from frost damage.
Beerenberg also provides services related to energy efficiency to achieve reductions in CO2 emissions and energy consumption in process plants."