Marine Engine Room Insulation

What is Marine Engine Room Insulation? 

The engine room (or ER) of a large marine vessel such as a tug boat, fire boat, or mega ship houses the vessel's prime mover, usually some variations of a heat engine - diesel engine, gas or steam turbine, or some combination of these. On a large percentage of vessels ships and boats, the marine engine room is located near the bottom, and at the rear or aft end of the vessel, and usually comprises a few compartments. Many of these marine engine room components benefit from the installation of insulation blankets.

Marine Engine Compartment Insulation

In a marine vessel, the engine room also contains the exhaust system. An exhaust system, typically made up of piping and manifolds, directs the engine fumes from the engine to the exterior of the ship. Left uninsulated, these components can become extremely hot, leaving both the engine room itself, along with adjacent cabins of the ship to become uncomfortably warm. Thermaxx provides removable custom insulation solutions for these marine exhaust manifolds and piping systems. 

Advantages of Removable Marine Engine Room Insulation

According to U.S. Patent Number 6,041,595, which addresses the application of removable insulation directly around the exhaust manifold of an internal combustion engine, there are a number of reasons why insulation blankets are a practical and efficient solution for marine engine rooms:

1. The insulation blankets allow for delivery of higher temperature gas to the turbine, therefor increasing the turbine efficiency.
2. By maintaining higher temperature in the exhaust manifold, the oxidation of unburned hydrocarbons is enhanced in the exhaust gas, therefor lowering hydrocarbon emissions.
3. By preventing the air around the engine from contacting the hot manifold surface, it reduces the passive formation of NOx, increasing safety for anyone entering the engine room. 

In addition to the reasons listed above, Thermaxx has found the following to also be improvements observed by clients when using removable insulation in marine engine rooms:

• Insulation jackets are easily removed for equipment maintenance
• Decreased engine room temperatures
• Protection from burns due to accidental contact with uninsulated components by anyone inside engine room

Marine Engine Room Sound Insulation

Marine engine rooms are loud! So loud that engineers and other occupants must wear protective hearing equipment. Safety codes have been adopted by the International Maritime Organization regarding noise levels on board ships. 

The purpose of the code is to provide for safe working conditions by giving consideration to the need for speech communication, hearing audible alarms, and providing an environment where clear-headed decisions can be made anywhere on board a ship.  Additionally, the code also protects seafarers from excessive noise levels which could lead to noise-induced hearing loss and provide an acceptable degree of comfort while aboard the vessel.

Thermaxx Jackets isolate machine vibrations, reducing exposure of your crew to harmful ambient noise. Custom solutions can be made to fit your vessel’s needs. First, we evaluate the spectrum of frequencies being emitted. We then assemble the perfect combination materials to reduce each elevated frequency to your desired decibel level. Learn more about our sound insulation here.

Marine Engine Room Insulation Materials

Thermaxx knows that choosing the right insulation materials is critical when planning an insulation project. We consider the environment & what temperatures the insulation will exposed to, among many other things. For marine applications, we ensure that our insulation blankets are chemical resistant, heat resistant, and able to adapt to the rapidly changing conditions inside an engine room.

We use materials such as Pyrogel® XT-E High Temperature Aerogel Insulation in our insulation blankets, because it’s hydrophobic, offers acoustic insulation benefits, and can withstand temperatures up to 1200F, which is perfect for marine applications!

Contact the Thermaxx Jackets Team for Marine Engine Room Insulation Solutions!

For more information getting Thermaxx Jackets removable insulation in your engine room, contact us. Otherwise, you can learn more about the full range of Thermaxx products here.