Method and device for thermally insulating a piece of equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10113682-B2
Application number	US-201414780319-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2014
Priority date	Mar 26, 2013
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

Abstract

A device for thermally insulating a piece of equipment, the device including a block of thermal insulation having at least a first hole; a deformable cover made of a gastight material and surrounding the block of insulation so that the wall of the first hole is covered by the gastight cover while leaving open the ends of first hole, the cover defining, at the second end, a first opening that communicates with the first hole and a second opening that communicates with the space situated between the insulating block and the cover; and the first and second openings of the cover being closed in gastight manner with the inside of the cover under a partial vacuum.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of thermally insulating a piece of equipment, the method comprising:
a) supplying at least one block of thermal insulation presenting a shape complementary to an outside face of a portion of said equipment;
b) making a first hole in said block of insulation presenting a first end opening out facing the outside face of said equipment and a second end opening out away from the outside face of said equipment;
c) placing said block of thermal insulation in a deformable cover made of a gastight material such that a wall of said first hole is covered by said gastight cover while leaving the first end and the second end of said first hole open, and the cover defines, at the second end, a first opening that communicates with the first hole and a second opening that communicates with the space situated between the insulating block and the cover;
d) fastening the block of insulation covered in the cover against the outside face of said portion of equipment by gastight and deformable connection means so that a space defined between the block of insulation and said portion of equipment presents a closed outline;
e) connecting the first opening and the second opening to suction means;
f) activating said suction means whereby an inside of the cover is partially evacuated and the cover is pressed against the block of insulation and against said portion of equipment; and
g) closing the first opening and the second opening of the cover in gastight manner.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein during step b) a second hole is formed in said block of insulation, presenting a first end opening out facing the outside face of said equipment and a second end opening out away from the outside face of said equipment; and
during step c), said gastight cover covers a wall of the second hole while leaving open the first and second ends of the first hole; and
prior to step e), a first pressure indicator is provided that is put into place by being enclosed in gastight manner at the location of the second end of the second hole.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein during step c), a second pressure indicator is provided that is placed between said cover and said block of insulation.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said connection means comprise a pad or a tongue forming part of said cover or are constituted by an elastomer gasket adhesively bonded to said cover.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein use is made of a plurality of assemblies, each of the assemblies comprising a block of insulation and a cover, said assemblies being suitable for covering adjacent portions of the outside face of said equipment by performing steps a) to g), and
wherein said method further comprises:
h) providing a heat-shrink outer bag;
i) placing said bag in such a manner as to surround in part at least two of said assemblies each formed by a respective block of insulation covered by its cover closed in gastight manner; and
j) heating said bag so that the bag shrinks and clamps against said assemblies.

6. A device for thermally insulating a piece of equipment, the device comprising:
a block of thermal insulation presenting a shape complementary to a shape of an outside face of a portion of said equipment to be insulated, said block of insulation including a first hole presenting a first end suitable for opening out facing the outside face of said equipment and a second end suitable for opening out away from the outside face of said equipment; and
a deformable cover made of a gastight material, said cover surrounding the block of insulation so that a wall of said first hole is covered by said gastight cover while leaving open the first and second ends of said first hole, the cover defining, at the second end, a first opening suitable for being closed in gastight manner and communicating with the first hole, and a second opening suitable for being closed in gastight manner and communicating with a space situated between the insulating block and the cover, and the first opening and the second opening of the cover being closed in gastight manner while an inside of the cover is under a partial vacuum.

7. The device according to claim 6 , wherein said block of insulation has a second hole presenting a first end opening out facing the outside face of said equipment and a second end opening out away from the outside face of said equipment, wherein said gastight cover covers a wall of the second hole while leaving open the first and second ends of the first hole; and wherein the device further includes a first pressure indicator put into place by closing the second end of the second hole.

8. The device according to claim 7 , further comprising a second pressure indicator put into place between said cover and said block of insulation.

9. The device according to claim 6 , wherein the second opening surrounds the first opening.

10. The device according to claim 6 , wherein said block of insulation is made of a porous material.

11. The device according to claim 6 , wherein said cover is made of an elastomer material.

12. The device according to claim 6 , wherein said cover is made of a material that is transparent or translucent.

13. An assembly suitable for use in isolating a piece of equipment, the assembly comprising:
a device according to claim 6 ; and
deformable connection means suitable for fastening the block of insulation covered in the cover against the outside face of said portion of equipment, while defining, between the block of insulation and said portion of equipment, a space having a closed outline.

14. The assembly according to claim 13 , wherein said connection means comprise a pad or a tongue forming part of said cover or said connection means are constituted by an elastomer gasket adhesively bonded to said cover.

15. An insulated system comprising:
a piece of equipment; and
an assembly according to claim 13 covering the outside face of said equipment at least in part.

Assignees

• Arianegroup Sas

Inventors

• Conrardy Jean-Marie
• Goncalves Brice

Classifications

• F16L59/12

  Arrangements for supporting insulation from the wall or body insulated, e.g. by means of spacers between pipe and heat-insulating material; Arrangements specially adapted for supporting insulated bodies · CPC title

• Y02T50/675

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• F16L59/065 Primary

  using vacuum (F16L59/075 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F01D25/145

  Thermally insulated casings · CPC title

• F02K9/605

  Reservoirs · CPC title