Engine insulation for hybrids to improve fuel economy

[Phase]

Originally Posted by Talos Woten

Thanks hayden!

My only long term concern with the insulation is it fraying and bits getting caught where they shouldn't. I covered mine over with a Reflectix-like foil and aluminum tape to seal it in. I've been checking the air filter, engine bay, etc. every time I gas up (I have to check the oil anyhoo since it burns it). Thus far everything seems hunky dory. Woohoo!

Yeah I’m worried about the insulation bits getting caught in the belt or something

[Phase]

Pic of the Ioniq engine bay. So it would be safe to lay something over this? What about the belt?

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Talos Woten

By the way, filling in the hood with foam would also 100% definitely work and add more insulation. But it would also 100% change the acoustics, and most hood gaps are tuned to counter the engine frequencies. I don't know whether the added sound-proofing would be sufficient to compensate for the loss of the dispersion cavities.

AFAIK it had to do more with pedestrian safety than sound-deadening, with the engine sitting lower and some impact being absorbed before the hood is dented enough for the pedestrian to hit the engine. BTW I remember the 1st-gen Ford Edge had engine covers made out of foam instead of hard plastic, which seems to perform quite well for both heat retention and soundproofing the valvecover.

[hayden55]

Originally Posted by Phase

Pic of the Ioniq engine bay. So it would be safe to lay something over this? What about the belt?

I'm actually surprised an Ioniq has a belt drive. My favorite part about owning the prius is it doesn't have a belt drive. They simplified a lot so less complex.
Anyways... Yup the main point here is heat rises so the majority of the heat retention is putting the insulation over the head. Just throw a sheet on there and try not to insulate your inverter.
The most really that happens is its a pita because if you touch the **** you will be nice and cozy... i mean itchy...
Worse case scenario the belt drive rips a piece off and some of your insulation is gone. It will just pull it off like cotton candy as the stuff is hardly together lol
Take the hood liner out too, it'll give the insulation more fluff room.

Take that massive engine cover off too if you can. should improve performance of the insulation.

[Phase]

Originally Posted by hayden55

I'm actually surprised an Ioniq has a belt drive. My favorite part about owning the prius is it doesn't have a belt drive. They simplified a lot so less complex.
Anyways... Yup the main point here is heat rises so the majority of the heat retention is putting the insulation over the head. Just throw a sheet on there and try not to insulate your inverter.
The most really that happens is its a pita because if you touch the **** you will be nice and cozy... i mean itchy...
Worse case scenario the belt drive rips a piece off and some of your insulation is gone. It will just pull it off like cotton candy as the stuff is hardly together lol
Take the hood liner out too, it'll give the insulation more fluff room.

Take that massive engine cover off too if you can. should improve performance of the insulation.

thats where the air filter is. not engine cover

i keep seeing things about ceramic insulation foam sheets. they cost more than the basic r13 fiberglass. would they perform better or is it a different type of insulation?

also how can you even go about getting smaller bits of insulation? cheapest i found was 30 bucks at home depot and 32 feet long. i just need 8 square feet for mine give or take

[hayden55]

Originally Posted by Phase

thats where the air filter is. not engine cover

i keep seeing things about ceramic insulation foam sheets. they cost more than the basic r13 fiberglass. would they perform better or is it a different type of insulation?

also how can you even go about getting smaller bits of insulation? cheapest i found was 30 bucks at home depot and 32 feet long. i just need 8 square feet for mine give or take

home depot and lowes locally will be your cheapest and a roll is $20 at the cheapest i bet. The ceramic kiln insulation is good as well. Higher R value per inch. But probably 10x the cost so instead of $5 it'll be $50 for a similar size. But 2" ceramic will be like R20 right since its so thin but R-10 per inch. Its also not to be breathed in like fiberglass, asbestos, etc... We aren't building a house out of it though so its pretty easy to not breath it in.
Yikes well that sucks. Thats the biggest engine cover and airbox ive ever seen. My insulation is sitting right against my metal valve cover.
Just drive by a neighborhood being built. 90% chance a guy will get you a piece if you ask nicely. They have a lot of scrap when they build houses.

Get fluffy insulation though not foam board. Foam board would suck in this application.

[Phase]

Originally Posted by hayden55

home depot and lowes locally will be your cheapest and a roll is $20 at the cheapest i bet. The ceramic kiln insulation is good as well. Higher R value per inch. But probably 10x the cost so instead of $5 it'll be $50 for a similar size. But 2" ceramic will be like R20 right since its so thin but R-10 per inch. Its also not to be breathed in like fiberglass, asbestos, etc... We aren't building a house out of it though so its pretty easy to not breath it in.
Yikes well that sucks. Thats the biggest engine cover and airbox ive ever seen. My insulation is sitting right against my metal valve cover.
Just drive by a neighborhood being built. 90% chance a guy will get you a piece if you ask nicely. They have a lot of scrap when they build houses.

Get fluffy insulation though not foam board. Foam board would suck in this application.

I was aiming for ceramic because it seems less messy, and better insulation while being thinner. Was going to wrap the whole thing In reflective foil too so nothing would be breathed in, plus the reflection aspect of it. Or is that overkill?

[Isaac Zachary]

What kind of ceramic are we talking about here? Aircrete? I don't see a good way of installing any blocks of AAC in the engine bay.

A foamed-up ceramic would be nice since fiberous materials, whether flammable or not, will become so if you get any oil on them (a giant oil lamp wick), and other foams are very flammable already.

[hayden55]

Well its probably just as messy. I hear that the ceramic weave insulation is just as bad as asbestos so dont breath it in. Reflection aspect is unmeasurable in real life as far as im concerned.

[Isaac Zachary]

Refelective surfaces reduce radiant heat loss. They do basically nothing for convection heat loss.