NAIMA Releases New Version of Free Insulation Software

Oct. 10, 2012
The North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) recently introduced Version 4.1 of 3E Plus, a free computer program said to quickly and accurately determine where additional insulation can improve the process efficiency of pipes, boilers, tanks, and ducts.
The North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) recently introduced Version 4.1 of 3E Plus, a free computer program said to quickly and accurately determine where additional insulation can improve the process efficiency of pipes, boilers, tanks, and ducts.

Operating in Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7 environments, 3E Plus performs a wide range of energy, economic, and environmental calculations to help specifiers, engineers, plant managers, and facility-management personnel determine cost savings through increased insulation thickness.

Version 4.1 of 3E Plus:

• Provides simple-payback calculations starting with thermal performance and cost of energy for both insulated and uninsulated piping and equipment.

• Performs calculations for most types of insulation materials and accepts user-provided performance data for other materials. Customized program details can be retained when the program is updated.

• Provides calculations for many fuel types and five surface orientations.

• Translates British-thermal-unit losses into dollars.

• Calculates greenhouse-gas emissions and reductions.

• Allows users to export insulation-audit data to an Excel spreadsheet.

• Includes the latest thermal curves and new insulation materials contained in ASTM International standards.

• Automatically calculates thickness tables.

• Works in metric and inch-pound units.

The program and a screen-by-screen user guide can be downloaded by clicking here.

About the Author

Scott Arnold | Executive Editor

Described by a colleague as "a cyborg ... requir(ing) virtually no sleep, no time off, and bland nourishment that can be consumed while at his desk" who was sent "back from the future not to terminate anyone, but with the prime directive 'to edit dry technical copy' in order to save the world at a later date," Scott Arnold joined the editorial staff of HPAC Engineering in 1999. Prior to that, he worked as an editor for daily newspapers and a specialty-publications company. He has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Kent State University.