ArmaFlex Foam Rubber: Anti-Condensation and Energy-Saving Solution for the HVAC System at Shanghai Pudong International Airport
ArmaFlex Foam Rubber: Anti-Condensation and Energy-Saving Solution for the HVAC System at Shanghai Pudong International Airport
Shanghai Pudong International Airport, one of China's three major gateway composite hubs, handles over 100,000 passengers daily and ranks among the top three globally for annual cargo throughput. Its unique geographical location near the East China Sea, coupled with an average annual humidity exceeding 75%, poses severe challenges to the stable operation of its HVAC system: the high-humidity environment easily causes pipe condensation and corrosion, increasing equipment failure risks. Condensation penetration can also damage terminal infrastructure like ceilings and floors. Furthermore, humid air reduces heat exchange efficiency, significantly increasing energy consumption. The application of ArmaFlex foam rubber products fundamentally solved these problems, becoming the "core protective solution" for the airport's HVAC system.
I. Targeted Protection for High Humidity Environments: Closed-Cell Structure Builds a Water Vapor Barrier
In the HVAC systems of the departure/arrival halls, supporting hotels, and the 50,000m² cargo area at Pudong Airport, chilled/hot water pipes and air ducts are directly exposed to high-humidity air. Ordinary insulation materials often have an open-cell structure, allowing water vapor to penetrate internally and form condensation, leading to external pipe wall corrosion and diminished insulation performance. In contrast, ArmaFlex foam rubber features over 95% independent closed-cell structure, forming a seamless "waterproof membrane" on the pipe surface – even during extreme high humidity (over 90%) in the rainy season, water vapor cannot penetrate the material's core.
During the project construction, the technical team conducted special tests on the low-temperature air ducts in the cargo area (supply air temperature as low as 12°C): in a simulated 72-hour continuous high-humidity environment, the outer surface of ducts wrapped with ArmaFlex foam rubber showed no signs of condensation, while the comparative pipes without this material exhibited visible condensation buildup. Post-operation, airport maintenance data shows that for piping systems using ArmaFlex, the annual average number of repairs due to vapor corrosion dropped from 8 times per kilometer to zero. The pipe service life extended by at least 15 years, saving over 2 million RMB annually in equipment maintenance costs alone.
II. Performance Advantages for Complex Scenarios: From Passenger Comfort to Cargo Safety
The HVAC system at Pudong Airport covers areas with significant variations, demanding insulation materials with "multi-scenario adaptability":
- Passenger Areas (Departure/Arrival Halls, Hotels): Beyond moisture protection, noise reduction and temperature stability are crucial. ArmaFlex foam rubber's flexible material effectively absorbs vibration noise from operating HVAC ducts. Tests showed hall HVAC operating noise reduced from 65 dB to 42 dB, achieving "library-level quietness" and enhancing the passenger experience. Simultaneously, its extremely low thermal conductivity (only 0.033 W/(m·K) at -20°C) ensures pipe cold/heat loss rates remain below 3%, keeping hall temperature fluctuations within ±1°C and preventing passenger discomfort from sudden temperature changes.
- Cargo Area (50,000m²): Some cargo (e.g., perishables, precision instruments) is sensitive to environmental temperature and humidity. Furthermore, cargo areas have low personnel flow and longer equipment maintenance cycles. ArmaFlex foam rubber's long-term stability is key here – even in unmanned cargo area ducts, its thermal conductivity remains unchanged for 10 years, ensuring continuous compliance with required temperature and humidity levels. Additionally, with forklift operations present, material surfaces may suffer impact and abrasion. ArmaFlex foam rubber's high elasticity withstands minor impacts without damage, preventing localized failure from compromising the entire insulation system.
III. Construction and Maintenance Assurance for Large Projects: Dual Optimization of Efficiency and Cost
The total HVAC piping length at Pudong Airport exceeds 30 kilometers, with pipe diameters ranging from DN50 to DN800. Construction needed to be phased during normal terminal operations, demanding extremely high installation convenience and construction efficiency. ArmaFlex foam rubber met these project needs with two key advantages:
- Enhanced Construction Efficiency: The product uses 1.5m wide panels, reducing the number of seams by 30% compared to traditional 1m wide materials. Packaging boxes feature printed templates for elbows, tees, etc., allowing direct on-site prefabrication without additional drawings. Construction time per kilometer of piping reduced from 5 days to 3 days, significantly minimizing disruption to airport operations.
- Reduced Maintenance Costs: The insulation system bonded with ArmaFlex specialty adhesive achieves "complete vapor tightness." Seams require no additional taping, eliminating the problem of vapor ingress caused by aging tape in traditional systems. Airport operational data shows the HVAC system using ArmaFlex foam rubber consumes 12% less energy annually than systems with traditional insulation. Based on Pudong Airport's annual HVAC energy consumption of 120 million kWh, this saves over 8 million RMB in electricity costs yearly, equivalent to reducing approximately 5,600 tons of CO₂ emissions.
IV. Case Value: From Single Project to Industry Benchmark
The application case at Shanghai Pudong International Airport not only validates the reliability of ArmaFlex foam rubber under high humidity, high flow, and complex scenarios but also establishes it as an industry benchmark for HVAC insulation in large transportation hubs. Subsequent major projects, including Beijing Daxing International Airport and Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport Terminal T3, have referenced the Pudong Airport solution, driving the standardized application of foam rubber insulation materials in transportation infrastructure. This case also embodies ArmaFlex's philosophy of "advancing green buildings through material innovation" – by improving insulation efficiency to reduce energy consumption, it provides a practical solution for large public buildings striving to achieve "carbon neutrality" targets.
