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There are only a few types of insulations used for HVAC ducts. However, people
often can't get to see duct insulations since ducts are installed above the ceiling. So,
I'll share the 4 common types of duct insulations and their specifications.
The specification of insulations is different for external and internal duct applications.
Some insulations are not suitable for internal duct applications. With that said, let's
get started.
Below is an actual site photo of an AHU main supply air duct that I took during the
construction. Notice that the first three sections of the duct have no external
insulations. It is because they were internally insulated to suppress the noise coming
out from the AHU.
Fiberglass insulated AHU duct
After the internal insulation, you can see that the rest of the duct is externally
insulated by fiberglass with aluminium foil. Even when the duct is internally insulated,
duct joints are still required to be externally insulated to prevent condensation.
Usually, air conditioning ducts are required to have at least 1″ (25mm) thick
fiberglass insulations for the supply and return air ducts with the density of
the fiberglass should not be less than 2 lb/ft3 (32 kg/m3) and the thermal
conductivity of the fiberglass should not be more than 0.24 btu.in/hr/sqft/°F
(0.035 W/mK).
Often, the AHU supply air temperature is around 57°F (14°C) and the room
temperature is around 75°F (24°C). So, the temperature difference may be around
20°F (10°C). Hence, using 1″ (25mm) thick fiberglass insulation is sufficient given
that you maintain the density of the fiberglass at 2 lb/ft3 (32 kg/m3).
Below is a photo I took years ago. It is a fresh air duct insulated using 1/8″ (3mm)
thick PE insulations. If the duct was connected to an air conditioner, the insulation
thickness is usually 3/8″ (9mm) because the temperature difference is greater.
PE insulated ducts are more appealing because they don't have wrinkles like
fiberglass insulated ducts do. Also, PE insulations are safer to work with compared
to fiberglass insulations.
Sometimes, hospital projects may call for at least 3/4″ (20mm) thick PE insulations
with the density of the PE foam should not be less than 2 lb/ft3 (30 kg/m3) and the
thermal conductivity of the fiberglass should not be more than 0.24 btu.in/hr/sqft/°F
(0.035 W/mK).
Nevertheless, PE insulations thickness of 3/8″ (9mm) and 1/2″ (12mm) are more
common for residential and commercial buildings based on my experience.
Hospitals required low supply air temperature and thus, they usually have greater
specifications than other buildings.
Below you can see is the inside of an AHU duct. It is insulated with rockwools and the
rockwools are secured by perforated metal sheets.
Internally insulated AHU duct
Sometimes, fiberglass with the same specification can be used to replace rockwool.
However, rockwool is more preferred because they don't tear easily with the high
wind speed inside AHU ducts.
If the air velocity exceeds 1500 fpm (7.6 m/s), perforated metal plates should be
used instead of perforated metal sheets to increase the integrity. The thickness of
the perforated metal plate is around 24G (0.6mm).
For sound insulation applications, perforated foils must be used rather than solid foils
because we need those holes for the material to absorb sound effectively. However,
it is very important not to use too big of a hole to prevent the fiberglass broke off and
causing health hazards.
Conclusion
Apart from the above 4 types of duct insulations, there are other types of duct
insulations such as polyurethane, closed-cell (superlon) and pre-fabricated ducts.
However, these 4 types of duct insulations are ones that you are most likely to
encounter when handling air conditioning ducts.
To learn more about the different components used in HVAC, purchase and download
the HVAC Basics (eBook).
Ref.
https://aircondlounge.com/types-of-duct-insulations/