Spirax Sarco is launching insulation jackets tailored for pipeline equipment, such as valves, steam traps, and flowmeters.
The jackets promise ‘long life with no degradation in insulating effectiveness’, enabling steam system operators to save energy and reduce carbon emissions ‘with minimum hassle’.
The company said: “Insulating steam systems is the most cost-effective energy-saving measure operators can make. Yet many steam traps, valves, and other equipment, are left uncovered to allow easy access for maintenance. Typically, a non-insulated steam trap will lose about as much heat as a one metre length of bare one inch diameter pipe, equating to a loss of £170 per year. Steam systems are often populated with 100 or more traps and valves, which, if not insulated, can mean several thousands of pounds in lost energy annually.”
The new insulation jackets can reportedly reduce this heat loss ‘by up to a factor of 12’. Most sites will, the steam system specialist says, see a payback ‘within six to 18 months’.
Tailored for specific products, the jackets are fastened with Velcro straps, making them quick to fit, and easy to remove, for access to the pipeline equipment when needed. The jackets also improve site health and safety by protecting personnel from contact with hot surfaces, and helping to create a cooler working environment.
Spirax Sarco said: “Conventional insulation boxes need to be modified on site, with their effectiveness dependent on how well they are fitted. Spirax Sarco insulation jackets are matched to the product, enabling them to be fitted snugly without any modification, for maximum insulating performance. The insulation in conventional aluminium-encased boxes also degrades quickly, because it is in direct contact with hot surfaces. In contrast, the insulation material in Spirax Sarco insulation jackets is protected from hot surfaces by vinyl-treated glass cloth, and comes with a three-year warranty.”
“When Spirax Sarco engineers open a conventional insulation box that has been in place on a site for one or two years, they usually find the insulation material has degraded, drastically reducing its insulating capabilities,” explains Mike Skidmore, product manager, Spirax Sarco. “Steam system operators can be confident that the Spirax Sarco insulation jackets will save energy for many years without loss of performance.”
The insulation jackets can be purchased at the same time as new equipment, or to retrofit to existing installed equipment. The need to pay for visits by insulation specialists to measure for conventional insulation jackets is eliminated, ‘saving time and cost’.
