Nomex for boiler insulation?

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Bill Shields
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Re: Nomex for boiler insulation?

Post by Bill Shields »

Is true. But on a copper boiler or one where the boiler skin temp gets over boiling...do not care.

Have an insulated steel boiler that is decades old and none the worse for the wear on the outside.

Dead air space is also a good insulator.. as is wood as long as you stay under 450
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Berkman
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Re: Nomex for boiler insulation?

Post by Berkman »

Then I saw some posting where someone used lead sheet to wrap the boiler
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NP317
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Re: Nomex for boiler insulation?

Post by NP317 »

Berkman wrote: Fri Sep 24, 2021 9:15 am What about the argument that insulation holds moisture against the boiler shell?
Protective paint on the boiler exterior, and periodic steaming to dry it out.
And a heat source in the firebox for drying while stored.
RussN
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Dick_Morris
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Re: Nomex for boiler insulation?

Post by Dick_Morris »

Lead around the boiler would add weight and be good for traction but not be of any value as insulation.
KarlKobel
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Re: Nomex for boiler insulation?

Post by KarlKobel »

That's one of the reasons I didn't use any.

Karl
INGE
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Re: Nomex for boiler insulation?

Post by INGE »

I recorded some boiler jacket and smoke box temperatures at our recent fall meet, for what its worth, here they are. I only got type of jacket insulation for 2 of them.
TEMPS BOILER SMOKEBOX

SCALE /WHEEL ARR. /SMOKEBOX TEMP /BOILER JACKET TEMP / FUEL
1-1/2” /0-4-0 /268F /166F / COAL
1” / 4-6-2 /230 /323F (NO JACKET or insl.) / COAL
1” / SHAY /400F /197F / COAL
1” /4-6-2 / 263F /195F ASBESTOS INLS. / COAL
1” /4-6-6-4 /317F /153F / OIL
1-1/2” /0-4-0 /155F /90F / PROPANE
1” / 2-8-2 / 162F /65F CORK INSL. / COAL
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kcameron
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Re: Nomex for boiler insulation?

Post by kcameron »

One club member was building up a 0-6-0 in 1" and the first time we fired it up and tried to get around the layout. It took a number of stops to rebuild pressure. But there was no jacket on the boiler, or much of a cab either. Plus no significant saddle tanks. Over the follow year he kept adding things, like the jacket, full size side tanks, etc... He now regularly runs the whole layout non-stop with a full load of passengers. We were surprised to see just how much difference it made to add all those things that helped to insulate the boiler and preheat the water that goes into the boiler.
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pat1027
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Re: Nomex for boiler insulation?

Post by pat1027 »

INGE wrote: Fri Oct 08, 2021 5:33 pm I recorded some boiler jacket and smoke box temperatures at our recent fall meet...
Curious what my jacket temperatures were I shot the picture below and did some IR measurement. This is just arriving at the yard, 120PSI (safety lifting), coal fired. The lagging simulates a tapered boiler and is thickest at the 3rd course.

Smoke Box, 314F
1st course of jacket, 201F
2nd course of jacket, 180F
3rd course of jacket, 150F
Back head (no insulation) 302F
Attachments
FLIR_20211017_023510.jpg
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