Hygrothermal analyses of ammonia refrigeration pipe insulation systems. Technical Paper #4

Hygrothermal computer analyses can be used to model how much moisture accumulation, in the form of both condensed water and ice, is likely to occur in a refrigeration pipe insulation system. Hence, these analyses may be a valuable tool to estimate the useful life of a refrigeration pipe insulation system. Such analyses can also be used to model various insulation systems exposed to different environmental conditions. To determine how several thermal insulation systems on ammonia refrigeration pipes would perform over time, this study used a computer model to perform hygrothermal analyses, thereby predicting simultaneous heat and moisture transfer. This presentation will explain the modeling of several variables, including one pipe temperature and pipe size, three different insulation materials both without and with a particular film type vapor retarder, a certain number of years, and input of standardized annual hourly weather data from three U.S. cities.