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Abstract

The wick-concept for thermal insulation of cold piping is based on capillary suction of a fiber fabric to remove excess water from the pipe surface by transporting it to the outer surface of the insulation. From the surface of the insulation jacket, the water will evaporate to the ambient air. This will prevent long-term accumulation of moisture in the insulation material. The wick keeps the hydrophobic insulation dry, allowing it to maintain its thermal performance. The liquid moisture is kept only in the wick fabric.

This article presents the principle of operation of cold pipe insulation using the wick-concept in either of two variations: the self-drying or the self-sealing system. Experiments have been carried out using different variations of the two systems to investigate the conditions for exploiting the drying capabilities of the systems, and the results are presented. The results show that the variations of these types of insulation systems work for pipes with a temperature above 0 C and for ambient conditions within common ranges for industrial applications.

Keywords

Insulation wick-concept cold piping moisture accumulation refrigeration air conditioning

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References

ASHRAE Handbook 2005 (2005). Fundamentals, USA, Atlanta: ASHRAE, Inc. ISBN 1-931862-71-0.

Choudhary, M.K. , Karki, K.C. and Patankar, S.V. (2004). Mathematical Modelling of Heat Transfer, Condensation, and Capillary Flow in Porous Insulation on a Cold Pipe , International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 47: 5629-5638 .

Crall, C. (2004). Chill Out!, Insulation Outlook, August 2004.

Korsgaard, V. (1997). Innovative Self-drying Concept for Thermal Insulation of Cold Piping, Insulation Materials: Testing and Applications, In: Graves, R.S. and Zarr, R.R. (eds), American Society for Testing and Materials , Vol. 3, ASTM STP 1320, pp. 416-425.

Korsgaard, V. (1998). HygroWick, The Self-drying Concept for Thermal Insulation of Cold Piping , Invited Lecture given to the FESI - Congress, Lucerne, 2nd October 1998.

EN 14114 (2002). Hygrothermal Performance of Building Equipment and Industrial Installations - Calculations of Water Vapor Diffusion - Cold Pipe Insulation Systems, European Committee for Standardization , March 2002.

EN ISO 15758 (2004). Hygrothermal Performance of Building Equipment and Industrial Installations - Calculation of Water Vapor Diffusion - Cold Pipe Insulation Systems, International Organization for Standardization .

The Wick-concept for Thermal Insulation of Cold Piping

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