Energy Savings in the Asphalt Manufacturing Industry
Summary
Typical Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) plants are equipped with hundreds
of feet of uninsulated flexible metal "jumper" hoses. The
primary function of the "jumper" hose is to transfer hot process
oil in a primary jacketed pipe across a connection flange.
Traditional insulating technologies that utilize mineral wool
and hard aluminum cladding are not capable of servicing these
hoses as they have a small diameter and a very tight bend
radius. The result is that the "jumper" hoses are left
uninsulated and they are a significant source of heat loss
costing HMA plants thousands of dollars each year in energy
inefficiencies.
Recent improvements in thermal insulation technology have
finally enabled HMA plants to insulate the neglected "jumper"
hoses and recover significant capital in energy savings.
The Technology Recent advancements in insulation technology are
utilizing closed cell silicone sponge rubber as a primary source
of high temperature insulation protection. The advantage of this
material is that it has a very low thermal conductivity making
it an excellent insulator. In addition silicone sponge rubber is
non fiberous unlike traditional mineral wool and it does not
required a hard aluminum cladding to contain the insulation
materials. The inherent flexibility of silicone sponge rubber in
combination with the aforementioned properties, make it an
excellent solution for insulating the tight bend radius "jumper"
hoses.
Economic Benefits
Insulating 1