Engineering-grade thickness optimisation for hot, cold and cryogenic systems—combining heat-loss or heat-gain modelling, surface-temperature verification, condensation control, freeze protection, thermal-bridge review and life-cycle cost analysis.
Industrial insulation thickness is calculated by building a thermal-resistance model of the complete system—not by selecting a generic thickness from temperature alone. The model includes process temperature, geometry, pipe or equipment dimensions, ambient conditions, wind, radiation, cladding emissivity, each material layer and the temperature-dependent thermal conductivity λ(T) of the proposed insulation.
For pipes, vessels and tanks, geometry changes the resistance of every layer. The outer-surface temperature also changes convection and radiation, so it must be solved iteratively. ERATHERM evaluates multiple commercial thicknesses and checks each option against the governing design criteria before issuing a recommendation.
The technically minimum thickness and the economically optimum thickness are not always the same. A compliant result may control heat flow or surface temperature, while the life-cycle optimum may justify additional thickness through lower fuel, electricity, refrigeration and carbon costs.
ERATHERM calculates every applicable criterion separately, identifies the controlling requirement and documents why the selected commercial thickness is technically and economically justified.
A thickness that controls energy loss may still fail condensation, personnel protection or process stability. The final recommendation must satisfy the complete design basis.
Quantifies W/m, W/m², total kW and annual MWh loss from hot piping, equipment, turbines, furnaces, tanks and vessels. Alternative materials and thicknesses are compared on an identical basis.
Output · Heat loss + annual energyCalculates heat ingress into chilled, refrigerated and cryogenic systems, including its effect on refrigeration demand, product temperature, cooldown duty and potential boil-off contribution.
Output · Heat gain + cooling loadVerifies the calculated outer-surface temperature against project criteria. Allowable contact conditions depend on jacketing material, contact duration and the accepted injury threshold—not one universal temperature limit.
Output · Surface-temperature complianceCompares surface temperature with the calculated dew point and design margin. The assessment also reviews vapour-retarder continuity and long-term moisture ingress in cold insulation systems.
Output · Dew-point safety marginUses transient energy balance for stagnant or low-flow lines, combining fluid inventory, initial temperature, ambient exposure, insulation and heat tracing to calculate the time to a critical temperature or freezing.
Output · Time to critical temperatureBalances insulation CAPEX against discounted energy OPEX, maintenance, replacement allowance, fuel or electricity escalation, project life and optional carbon cost to determine the life-cycle optimum.
Output · LCC + NPV + paybackAsset-integrity overlay: Corrosion under insulation (CUI) is not treated as a simple thickness criterion. Water entry, coating condition, vapour barriers, operating cycles, material, jacketing details, inspection access and maintenance strategy are reviewed as a complete system.
The same thickness-selection rule cannot govern every service. Select a calculation path to see the dominant risks, engineering questions and typical outputs for that operating regime.
Hot-service calculations usually start with allowable heat loss, process-temperature retention, personnel protection or an economic objective. Radiation, jacketing emissivity and wind can have a decisive influence on the calculated outer-surface temperature.
Cold-service thickness is often governed by surface condensation rather than heat gain alone. Relative humidity, dew point, outdoor exposure and vapour-retarder performance are therefore included together with the insulation thermal model.
Cryogenic calculations focus on heat ingress, thermal bridges, contraction, boil-off contribution and system architecture. Vacuum + MLI and vacuum-jacketed equipment are assessed using vacuum- and layer-dependent performance data rather than a generic conductivity value.
Freeze protection is a time-dependent problem. ERATHERM calculates fluid and pipe thermal mass, initial temperature, minimum ambient exposure, insulation, wind and any heat-tracing contribution to estimate the available holdover time.
ERATHERM selects the simplest method that represents the physics accurately, then increases model fidelity where geometry, time dependency or external flow materially changes the result.
Steady-state evaluation of flat, cylindrical and spherical systems with conduction, convection, radiation and iterative surface-temperature solution.
Used for supports, nozzles, penetrations, tank skirts, anchors, valve bodies, discontinuities and local hot or cold spots that a one-dimensional model cannot resolve.
Applied to startup, shutdown, cooldown, warm-up, holdover and time-to-freeze cases in which thermal mass and duration govern performance.
Reserved for forced convection, complex external flow, ventilation, localized jets or flow–thermal interaction where a prescribed surface coefficient is inadequate.
Standard calculations remain the primary method for regular geometry. Advanced numerical models are introduced only where they change design decisions, risk or the acceptance basis.
The deliverable states model boundaries, mesh or discretisation approach, material properties, boundary conditions, convergence criteria, assumptions and independent-check status.
Local metal paths may bypass the main insulation and dominate heat flow or surface temperature. ERATHERM models their real geometry and contact conditions instead of applying an arbitrary global correction.
Normal operation may not be the controlling case. Transient analysis can compare cooldown, warm-up, emergency shutdown, loss of heat tracing and minimum-flow scenarios to identify the real design envelope.
A calculation is only as defensible as its inputs. ERATHERM issues an input and assumption register, identifies missing project data and documents conservative values that require client confirmation.
ERATHERM reports the recommended commercial thickness together with the assumptions, governing criterion and performance results required by EPC, owner and independent third-party engineering review.
Layer-by-layer thickness, material, density, jacketing and relevant barrier requirements.
W/m, W/m², total kW, annual MWh, heat gain or loss and calculated outer-surface temperature.
Ambient dew point, calculated surface temperature, safety margin and vapour-control notes.
Temperature history, time to critical condition and heat-tracing contribution where applicable.
Insulation CAPEX, annual energy OPEX, simple payback, discounted cash flow and life-cycle optimum.
Annual energy saving, fuel or electricity reduction and documented emission-factor basis.
Like-for-like technical and economic comparison of candidate materials and layer arrangements.
Standards, data sources, exclusions, sensitivities, open points and independent-check record.
Thermal conductivity changes with mean temperature, density, ageing, moisture and product formulation. ERATHERM uses manufacturer-approved conductivity curves for the exact proposed product and compares realistic commercial build-ups rather than a single catalogue value.
Important: Vacuum + MLI performance depends on vacuum level, layer density, compression, seams, penetrations and residual-gas conduction. It is assessed as a system and is not inserted into a conventional material table using one generic λ value.
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Economical industrial systems assessed for service temperature, density, convection suppression, compression and jacketing.
Rigid insulation considered where high service temperature, mechanical strength and durable geometry are required.
Closed-cell systems evaluated for vapour resistance, dimensional stability, load-bearing details and tank-bottom applications.
Prefabricated shells, blocks, in-situ injection or spray systems modelled with ageing, jointing and vapour-barrier requirements.
Thin, flexible systems compared for constrained geometry, retrofit work, CUI management and demanding temperature ranges.
High-temperature or space-constrained systems assessed using product-specific data, shrinkage limits and installation design.
Bulk-filled systems evaluated for annular geometry, packing condition, settlement allowance and vacuum or inert service.
Advanced cryogenic systems assessed using radiation, spacer, residual-gas, solid-conduction and installation-dependent performance.
View MLI engineeringCombinations selected where thermal, vapour, fire, mechanical, acoustic or maintenance requirements cannot be met by one material.
Economic thickness is the build-up that minimises total discounted cost over the selected project life while still satisfying every technical requirement. The analysis separates transparent assumptions from calculated results so future energy-price scenarios can be updated.
Standards are applied according to their actual scope. Project specifications, manufacturer data and documented engineering judgement are incorporated without presenting one standard as a substitute for the complete insulation-system design.
Primary calculation practice for insulated flat, cylindrical and spherical systems, including heat loss or gain and surface temperature.
Rules for industrial insulation heat-transfer calculations, predominantly steady-state, with simplified treatment of certain thermal bridges.
Supports evaluation of contact-burn risk using surface material, contact duration and accepted injury criteria rather than a universal limit.
Used where long-term vapour diffusion and condensation within cold pipe insulation must be assessed in addition to external surface dew point.
Applied to material selection, system build-up, detailing and industrial installation requirements—not as the sole heat-transfer calculation method.
Supports system-level review of coatings, water entry, materials, inspection, maintenance and corrosion-under-insulation control.
Allowable heat flow, surface temperature, weather data, safety factors, material constraints and reporting format are incorporated into the design basis.
Conductivity curves, temperature limits, density, ageing, jointing and installation factors are verified for the actual proposed product.
Concise answers to the questions most frequently raised by asset owners, EPC contractors, process engineers and insulation specialists.
Submit Your Calculation CaseConnect the thermal model to materials, detailed design, procurement, construction and acceptance.
Send available process data, line or equipment dimensions, ambient conditions, project criteria and candidate materials. ERATHERM will define the calculation basis, missing inputs, deliverables and required analysis level before work begins.
