Three types of air duct insulation

There are many benefits to doing insulation. First of all, heat preservation literally means maintaining temperature. This temperature does not only refer to heat, but also cold air. Insulation can reduce energy loss, save energy and protect the environment, and can also isolate air. Isolating the air prevents oxidation, which increases the life of the duct. Insulation also reduces condensation. The condensation phenomenon is that the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the air duct in summer causes the water in the outside air to condense into water vapor. Water will drip along the air duct, affecting indoor sanitation. Another function of heat preservation is that, for example, sound insulation can reduce noise to a certain extent.

In order to better achieve the purpose of indoor temperature regulation and air cleanliness, the air ducts of air-conditioning, HVAC and ventilation systems can be roughly divided into three types of air duct insulation methods: internal insulation, external insulation, and middle insulation. These three types of air duct insulation correspond to different air duct materials and installation methods. The following is an example of these three insulation methods with the representative thermal insulation material "glass wool" in the market.

1. External insulation

This insulation method is made of common "external insulation material + metal air duct". For example, the common "external insulation" is to add a layer of thermal insulation material glass wool directly outside the galvanized iron air duct to achieve the effect of thermal insulation. Generally speaking, the insulation effect of external insulation is average, the energy consumption will be relatively large, and it will be accompanied by noise during use, which is a point that many people criticize.

2. Internal insulation

This insulation method is made of the common "inner insulation material + metal air duct". For example, the common "internal insulation" refers to directly building the air duct insulation material glass wool. The formaldehyde-free and environmentally friendly enhanced air duct that integrates heat preservation and air duct is one of the representatives. The insulation material glass wool directly plays the role of energy saving and heat preservation, so the insulation inside the air duct has high requirements for insulation materials. Generally, formaldehyde-free environmentally friendly glass wool is used to prevent harmful gases such as formaldehyde from emitting and endangering our health.

3. Medium insulation

This insulation method is made of the common "intermediate layer insulation material + double-layer metal (aluminium) air duct". For example, the common "medium insulation" is to place insulation material glass wool (or specialized foam) directly in the middle of the double-layer metal air duct. You can also describe it as a sandwich panel, the insulating material glass wool is not exposed, forming the effect of heat preservation. The air duct of this insulation method is represented by phenolic, PIR PUduct, which does not have high requirements for insulation materials. Compared with the above two types of insulation air ducts, the material cost of double-layer insulation metal air ducts is much higher. Use scenarios with higher safety and quality requirements.

There is also a common HVAC special "phenolic composite air duct"

Efficient heat preservation: The heat insulation material used in phenolic air ducts has a thermal conductivity about 40% lower than that of traditional air ducts. The non-metal structure and unique connection method not only ensure the excellent air tightness of the ventilation system, completely eliminate hidden dangers such as dripping water and cold bridges, but also minimize the loss of cooling capacity and the energy loss of the air duct wall. The thermal insulation material phenolic has a thermal conductivity of only 0.024w/(m.k). According to estimates, 10,000 square meters of air ducts can save 300,000 kWh of electricity every year.

The importance of HVAC is self-evident.

With the development of society and the popularization of energy-saving and environmental protection technologies, HVAC plays an increasingly important role in our lives. It can not only help enterprises, institutions, commercial buildings, and residential areas to improve thermal efficiency and save energy, but also improve air quality and improve people's living comfort. It is an important part of building functions.

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