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Tuesday, September 18, 2007 - 10:40 AM

Furnace Energy Savings and Capacity Improvements Using Microporous Insulation

W. Gregg, Microtherm Inc, Alcoa, TN

Microporous insulation was developed originally for advanced nuclear and space applications. However through other product forms and grades developed in more recent times, its use has grown to many applications where its superior efficiency provides significant benefits.  Microporous insulation provides the lowest thermal conductivity over a broad range of temperatures up to 1100 centigrade. Using microporous insulation as the primary insulation or as a special backup material can dramatically reduce heat loss in industrial heating applications.  This paper will present several design examples and industry applications where microporous insulation can and has been used to save energy, increase capacity, or save space.  Product forms will be presented which provide designers with numerous options to minimize installation costs and fits a variety of configurations.  Data will be presented which shows how microporousinsulation can also be used in heavy load bearing applications no loss of thermal performance.  Graphs will be presented which will show typical payback periods or cost savings.

Summary: The extremely low thermal conductivity of microporous insulation can substantially reduce furnace energy requirements and startup time without impacting overall system footprint. Likewise furnace capacity can be increased with no effect on existing footprint or energy usage.