Heat pumps

It is considered to be environmentally friendly, climate-friendly and cost-saving: it is not surprising that the heat pump has established itself as an alternative to conventional heating technologies in recent years.To generate heat, it uses thermal energy stored in the air, earth or water. Regardless of the heat source tapped, all heat pumps work on the same physical principle. Conversely to a refrigerator, the heat pump extracts energy from its environment by absorbing the heat, compressing it to a higher temperature level and supplying it to the heating circuit.

Heat pumps are mainly composed of the following components: Evaporator, condenser, compressor, an expansion valve and the refrigerant. The basic principle of every heat pump is the refrigeration cycle. This is where the decisive physical processes for energy conversion take place. For the efficient operation of a heat pump, it is important that the heat energy, extracted from the environment, will not diminish by the transport so that it can be used with the highest level of efficiency. Consequently, all relevant piping, connection assemblies and condensers or heat exchangers should be optimally insulated. Normally, these components are supplied pre-insulated by the manufacturer.

Air-source heating pumps are particularly popular for this purpose. This is because air is an inexhaustible source of energy that can be tapped cost-effectively, safely and quickly in any quantity at almost any location without the need for significant construction work - even retrofitted. With this type of pump, the energy of the warm air is absorbed by the refrigerant in the evaporator and transferred to the air in the building via the condenser after the compression process. On the one hand, of course, all cold pipes should be insulated, but on the other hand, the outer walls of the pump should also be insulated in order to prevent disturbing noise.

Geothermal heat pumps route a frost-proof refrigerant through a pipe loop laid outdoors. As the refrigerant passes through the loop, it absorbs heat from the surrounding soil. Outdoors, the buried pipe of the heat loop must absorb the heat and should therefore remain uninsulated. Where the supply and return pipes are close together and the pipe is above ground, insulation should be installed to increase system efficiency. The buried insulation must resist moisture intrusion and provide a resistant protective surface. Complex GSHP systems, such as those in schools and hospitals, have more associated piping in the plant room. Although they are heated by the ground, the supply temperatures here are still below ambient, which can cause condensation without insulation.

Energy efficiency

Optimal technical insulation can provide sustainable support in keeping energy losses in a building or operational system low in the long term. Cost-saving measures to increase energy efficiency and system performance can be easily realized by insulating the entire piping network with Kaiflex. Thanks to the low thermal conductivity of up to λ ≤ 0.033 W/(m·K) and the thus very good thermal performance, the energy budget can already be sustainably optimized with a minimum insulation layer thickness, as the following example shows: an uninsulated DN 50 pipe has an annual energy consumption of 172.2 kWh per pipe meter. At a heat price of 0.24 € / kWh, this results in additional costs of 41.33 Euros per meter and per year. If, on the other hand, the pipe is covered with 19 mm of Kaiflex insulation, heat losses are reduced to 39 kWh and operating costs shrunken to 9.36 Euros per meter per year (assuming ambient temperature of 23 °C, media temperature 6 °C, rel. humidity 75 %, system hours 6,000). This means that 77 % of costs can be saved and the use of Kaiflex has already paid for itself after a short time.

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Noise insulation

Effective noise control measures for building and operational systems upgrade the value of buildings, increase productivity and the well-being of users, and reduce stress-related health risks and the number of occupational accidents. Effective noise protection solutions, that comply with the strict legal requirements, should therefore be used particularly in the areas of rooms demanding such protection, as well as in working areas. Kaimann insulation materials make a valuable contribution to these requirements when used for these two types of noise reduction measures: Sound absorption and sound insulation. While sound absorption usually reduces sound energy by converting it into heat, sound insulation shields the propagation of airborne and structure-borne sound by creating a barrier. This means that architects and contractors are on the safe side, as the noise insulation solutions ensure compliance with legal requirements.

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Condensation prevention

In order to ensure the thermal performance of an insulation material in the long term, high water vapours diffusion resistance is also important in addition to thermal conductivity. This additionally protects the refrigeration and air-conditioning systems from condensation and pipe corrosion. The closed-cell structure of Kaiflex is formed from individual, self-contained cells. As a result, the insulation material already has "by nature" a secure vapour barrier integrated across the entire insulation profile and offers a water vapour diffusion resistance of up to μ ≥ 10,000. Kaiflex cannot become soaked during its service life and therefore retains its excellent insulating performance. The result: Kaiflex insulation on cold-carrying pipes increases the service life of technical equipment and also prevents moisture damage to the building's inventory.

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Sustainability

From thermal performance to low pollutants to environmentally friendly manufacturing - there are many aspects that should be considered if a product or building is to be certified as sustainable, for example, according to DGNB, BREEAM or LEED. How is Kaimann making its contribution? Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) make the life cycle assessment of Kaimann insulation materials even more transparent, helping the company to support the design and certification of sustainable buildings. Kaiflex insulation materials reduce up to 660 kg of CO2 emissions during their 20-30 years of service life and save up to 580 times the amount of CO2 which has been released by their manufacture. This is good news for the environment, as well as for the cost balance of companies and building operators. Kaiflex also offers health benefits due to its specific structure: with its closed-cell nature, it is free of dust and fibers for hygienic requirements during installation and during system operation. Without additives, the insulation materials have excellent protection against mould and bacteria growth, thus increasing the quality of indoor air.

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Thickness insulation calculator Kaicalc

Those who pay attention to careful planning, workmanship and quality in a project design, can avoid costly system malfunctions or even failures and can thus keep operating costs stable in the long term - or even reduce them sustainably. Decisive for this is both the choice of the right insulation material and the correct calculation of insulation thickness. Our insulation thickness calculator Kaicalc provides reliable support around the clock.

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