Bellow and support flange as found, uninsulated
Same element with Inzonex Modular Insulation
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Insulatedouter face 34.8 °C
Barepeak 130 °C
Peak 130 °C  ·  27.4 kW bare  ·  1.4 kW insulated  ·  34.8 °C outer face
Inzonex
End plate and economiser Cochran shell boiler · FLIR-measured · ISO 12241
contact@inzonex.co.uk
Details · heat · surface · sections · calculate
Typical losses · End plate and economiser

Heat loss before and after insulation

Bare surface loss27.4 kW1,703 W/m² at 130 °C
With Inzonex1.4 kW89 W/m²
Reduction94.8%of surveyed heat loss
Outer face34.8 °Cdesign target ≤ 45 °C
Heat retained155.9 MWhper year
Estimated cost saving£8,29030.7 t CO₂e avoided

Peak surface temperature 130 °C and the 27.4 kW of this view are FLIR readings taken on a working cochran shell boiler, with areas from the CAD model of the same equipment uplifted ×1.4 for bolts and irregular geometry. The area field opens on the value that reproduces that loss at that temperature, so the bare tile starts on the surveyed figure; where a view holds elements at different temperatures this comes out below the geometric area. Surface heat loss only, ISO 12241 steady state. Emissivity 0.90 bare and 0.85 on the insulated face; fuel at 94 % heat-supply efficiency and 185 kg CO₂e per MWh of fuel. Operating hours and energy price are example inputs for one boiler — put your own in. Figures are for one boiler.

Surface heat loss at 130 °C

On the surveyed cochran shell boiler the hottest point of this view measures 130 °C bare, and the 2 element group(s) in it lose 27.4 kW. The largest single item in it is the economizer at 18.3 kW.

With Inzonex Modular Insulation over the same area the calculated loss is 1.4 kW, which is 94.8 % lower. The reduction this survey publishes is 95 %. At 6,000 operating hours a year that is 155.9 MWh of heat retained.

Visible in this view: end plate (130 °C), economizer (126 °C), behind it — both bare.

This viewBareInsulated
Surface heat loss27.4 kW1.4 kW
Surface temperature130 °C34.8 °C
Heat retained / yr—155.9 MWh
Fuel equivalent / yr—165.8 MWh

q = h(Ts − Ta) + εσ[(Ts+273.15)⁴ − (Ta+273.15)⁴], with h = 5.7 + 3.8v W/m²K. Conductivity is taken as λ = 0.031 + 0.000188 × mean layer temperature, W/mK, evaluated at the solved mean layer temperature. Certified λ curves differ between products.

Calculated outer-surface temperature

With a 50 mm core the calculated outer surface is 34.8 °C. The design target for surfaces people work next to is 45 °C. The bare steel measures 130 °C over the same area on the FLIR survey.

Inputs: 50 mm core, air 28 °C at 0.5 m/s, emissivity 0.90 bare and 0.85 on the insulated face, bare surface 130 °C. Area, temperature and hours are editable in the calculator above.

Calculation inputValue
Insulation thickness50 mm
Ambient air28 °C
Air speed0.5 m/s
Emissivity, bare / insulated0.90 / 0.85
Area uplift for bolts×1.4

Removable sections

The insulation is made in separate sections around the hinged doors, the valves and the mountings. Each section can be removed separately for burner service or inspection and refitted afterwards. Safety devices and required clearances stay unobstructed.

No access-time saving is included in this calculation.

Stays accessibleHow
Hinged doorsown section
Valves and mountingsown section
Instrumentsown section
Safety devicesleft clear

Estimated annual energy and cost savings

Reference case: one boiler, this view at 130 °C bare, 6,000 operating hours a year. The retained heat is valued at £8,290 a year at £50/MWh of fuel and avoids 30.7 t CO₂e.

Natural gas at £50/MWh, 94 % heat-supply efficiency and 185 kg CO₂e per MWh of fuel. Operating hours and fuel price are example inputs for one boiler; enter your own to recalculate the results.

Open the end plate and economiser survey →

Per yearReference case
Estimated energy cost saving£8,290
Heat retained155.9 MWh
Fuel equivalent165.8 MWh
Emissions avoided30.7 t CO₂e

Figures are for one boiler and for this view only. The surface is treated as flat area: thermal bridges and fixings are not resolved separately.

Questions

Frequently asked

How hot is a Cochran boiler end plate?

On the surveyed boiler the rear end plate measured 130 °C bare (FLIR) over a 5.3 m² face; the economizer behind it ran at 126 °C.

How much heat does a bare economizer lose?

About 18 kW continuously — 126 °C over 11.3 m² (CAD ×1.4) by ISO 12241 — the largest single avoidable loss on the boiler.

Can an economizer be insulated if it needs tube access?

Yes. A modular removable panel is shaped to the casing and unbuttons for inspection, so it insulates without losing access, unlike rigid cladding.

What surface temperature do you reach after insulation?

About 34–39 °C — below the 45 °C touch-safe threshold — with roughly a 95% cut in heat loss.

Inzonex Modular Insulation · survey-based engineering