Most industrial insulation is a single-function device. It keeps steam components hot or refrigeration units cold and provides little insight about the process. Smart Jackets change that by reporting insightful data.
Smart Jacket
The new digital insulation cover monitors temperatures, evaluates health status and notifies upon deviation from the norm. The automated insulation product is the result of collaboration between sensor specialist Embedded Energy Technology and insulation fabricator Thermaxx Jackets.
Large scale steam distribution and heating systems represent over 10 percent of our nation’s annual energy consumption, and nearly all of them suffer from radiant heat loss and steam leakage. Each facility can recover tens of thousands of dollars annually by installing removable Smart Jackets to prevent heat loss and quickly detect failing components.
Smart Jackets record internal and ambient room temperatures with a wireless sensor. Every data point is reported to an online dashboard, allowing plant technicians to monitor efficiency from anywhere. But who wants to constantly watch a temperature gauge? Custom email and text message alerts can be set to notify maintenance staff in the event of fluctuation or critical levels. By the time steam system failures are typically visible, thousands of dollars can be lost. Smart Jackets catch potential failures before they become costly problems, increasing responsiveness and decreasing energy consumption. The Utility Distribution Superintendent at the University of Georgia, Robert White, expressed his enthusiasm for Smart Jackets.
“We have been waiting for this technology for a while,” White said. “We currently have more than 170 buried steam vaults, some of which require road or lane closures to access. Being able to open my computer and see the real time temperatures gives me total piece of mind. We have previously tested other standalone monitoring systems that were more difficult to install and service and also did not provide the added insulation benefit we get from the Smart Jackets. Thermaxx Smart Jackets are now in 80% of our steam pits and will be in the remainder as soon as funding allows.”