EXTERIOR CLADDING FOR INSULATION SYSTEMS

Abstract

Some embodiments of the present technology may include pipe insulation systems; the insulation systems may include an insulation member having an inner surface and an outer surface; the insulation systems may include a protective coating having an inner surface and an outer surface; the inner surface of the protective coating may be arranged around the outer surface of the insulating member; the inner surface of the protective coating may include an embossed texture formed from a plurality of protruding features and a plurality of indented features; the plurality of protruding features may extend at least 1 mm beyond the plurality of indented features.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Some embodiments of this technology may include pipe insulation systems. The insulation systems may include an insulation member having an inner and an outer surface. The insulation systems may also include a protective coating having an inner and an outer surface. The inner surface of the protective coating may be arranged around the outer surface of the insulation member. The inner surface of the protective coating may include an embossed texture formed from a plurality of protruding features and a plurality of indented features. The plurality of protruding features may extend at least 1 mm beyond the plurality of indented features. In some embodiments, the inner surface of the protective coating may be positioned directly against the outer surface of the insulating member. At least 40% of the inner surface of the protective coating may include the plurality of grooved features. The outer surface of the coating may form an outermost surface of the pipe insulation system. The inner surface of the insulating member may be arranged around an outer surface of a pipe or container. The embossed texture may allow flow. OI Cb I f\¡77(\7 / B / YILI transverse direction of the liquid. The protective lining may include a drain port. Some embodiments of the present technology may include protective coatings. The coatings may include a coating body having an inner and an outer surface. The inner surface of the coating body may include an embossed texture formed from a plurality of raised features and a plurality of recessed features. At least 40% of the inner surface of the protective coating may include the plurality of recessed features. The plurality of raised features may extend at least 1 mm beyond the plurality of recessed features. In some embodiments, the outer surface of the lining body may include an embossed texture. The embossed texture may include at least one texture selected from the group consisting of: a vertical corrugated pattern, a repeating oval pattern, a repeating circular pattern, a perforated pattern, a stucco pattern, and a wavy pattern. The lining body may include at least one material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, stainless steel, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The embossed texture may permit transverse flow of the liquid. The plurality of protruding features may extend no more than 10 mm beyond the plurality of indented features. The protective lining may form an outermost layer of a pipe insulation system. Some embodiments of this technology may include pipe insulation systems. Methods may include positioning an inner surface of an insulating member against an outer surface of a pipe or container. Methods may also include positioning an inner surface of a protective coating against an outer surface of the insulating member. The inner surface of the protective coating may include an embossed texture formed from a plurality of protruding features and a plurality of recessed features. The plurality of protruding features may extend at least 1 mm beyond the plurality of recessed features. Methods may also include securing the ends of the protective coating together. In some embodiments, the methods may include forming a drain port in a low region of the protective liner. Securing the ends of the protective liner together may include overlapping a first end over a second end and securing the first and second ends in an overlapping configuration. At least 40% of the inner surface of the protective liner may include a plurality of grooved features. The embossed texture may allow transverse flow of the liquid. The inner surface of the protective liner may be positioned directly against the outer surface of the insulation member. An outer surface of the liner may form an outermost surface of a pipe insulation system. QI Cb I f\¡77(\7 / B / YILI BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A better understanding of the nature and advantages of various modalities can be achieved by referring to the following figures. In the accompanying figures, similar components or features may share the same reference label. Furthermore, several components of the same type can be distinguished by following the reference label with a hyphen and adding a second label that differentiates between similar components. If only the first reference label is used in the specification, the description applies to any of the similar components that share the same first reference label, regardless of the second reference label. Figure 1A illustrates an isometric perspective view according to some modalities of the present technology. Figure 1B illustrates a side elevation view of the isolation system of Figure 1A. Figure 1C illustrates a front elevation cross-sectional view of the insulation system in Figure 1A. Figures 2A to 2E illustrate various embodiments of the protective coating according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 3 illustrates a flow diagram of a process for manufacturing a protective coating according to some modalities of the present technology. Figure 4 illustrates a flow diagram of a process for isolating a pipe according to some modalities of the present technology. Figure 5 illustrates a setup for drainage testing of an insulation system. Figure 6 illustrates a graph showing drainage rates of protective coatings with different depths of etching. Figure 7 illustrates a graph showing drainage rates of protective linings with different open areas. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The subject matter of the embodiments of the present invention is described herein specifically to meet regulatory requirements; however, this description is not necessarily intended to limit the scope of the claims. The claimed subject matter may be embodied in other ways, may include different elements or stages, and may be used in conjunction with other existing or future technologies. This description should not be construed as implying OI Cb I f\¡77(\7 / В / YILI any particular order or arrangement among several steps or elements, except when the order of individual steps or the arrangement of elements is explicitly described. The embodiments of the present invention relate to insulation systems that include protective coatings or linings that can be applied to an outer surface of an insulating material for a pipe or container (or other equipment). An inner surface of the lining may include an embossed texture that provides a clearance for water or other liquid present inside the lining to facilitate drainage. The embossed pattern may be of a size and shape designed to reduce drainage time and the amount of liquid retained within the lining. Drainage ports may be included to allow any liquid flowing along the inner surface of the lining to be removed from the insulation system. Returning now to Figures 1A to 1C, an example of an insulation system 100 is illustrated. The insulation system 100 may include a pipe, container, or other equipment to be insulated. For example, as illustrated, the system 100 includes a cylindrical pipe 102 having an outer surface 104. The system 100 may also include an arched insulation member 106 having an inner surface 108 and an outer surface 110. The inner surface 108 may be positioned against the outer surface 104 of the pipe 102. For example, in some embodiments, the inner surface 108 of the insulation member 106 may be positioned directly adjacent to the outer surface 104 of the pipe 102 without any intermediate layer. The insulation member 106 may consist of a single piece of material or be composed of multiple pieces of material.For example, the insulating member 106 may be a single piece of material having a longitudinal groove that allows the insulating member 106 to open and be placed around the pipe 102, and then close around the pipe 102. In other embodiments, the insulating member 106 may include two or more arched pieces (of equal or different sizes) that can be joined together to wrap completely or substantially around the pipe 102. The insulating member 106 may be shaped to fit around objects of various cross-sections, such as rectangles, circles, ellipses, triangles, etc. In some embodiments, the insulating member 106 may be formed as an arched shape with or without a cut. For example, the insulating member 106 may include one or more pieces that are provided in a block form (e.g., parallelogram).The insulating member 106 (or parts thereof) can be rectangular with a number of cuts formed on its inner surface. The insulating member 106 can then be shaped as desired so that it fits around the desired structure. For example, if the insulating member 106 is to surround a tubular structure (such as pipe 102), the cuts on the inner surface 108 can be oriented towards the pipe 102, and it will be clamped closed as long as the insulating member 106 is in place. OI Cb I f\¡77(\7 / B / YILI curved around the pipe 102. The outer surface 110 of the insulating member 106 can provide a smooth, uniform, and flat surface for a coating or lining 112 to be applied. In other embodiments, a multi-piece insulating member 106 can include a number of arched pieces of insulating material, which can be joined together to substantially and / or completely surround the outer surface 104 of the pipe 102. The insulating member 106 can be supplied in a variety of thicknesses. For example, the thickness of the insulating member can range from approximately 25 mm to approximately 152 mm, although other insulation thicknesses can be used in various configurations to meet the requirements of a particular insulation application. The insulating member 106 can include various insulating materials. For example, the insulating member can include expanded perlite insulation, mineral fiber insulation, and / or other types of insulating material. Mineral fiber materials can include rock wool, slag wool, fiberglass-based products, and / or combinations thereof. As stated above, the insulating system 100 may include a protective covering 112 having an inner surface 114 and an outer surface 116. The inner surface 114 of the covering 112 may be affixed against the outer surface 110 of the insulating member 106. For example, in some embodiments, the inner surface 114 of the covering may be directly adjacent to the outer surface 110 of the insulating member 106 without any intermediate layer. In some embodiments, the outer surface 116 may form an outermost surface of the securing system 100. The covering 112 may be made of various materials, such as sheet metal, plastic film, metal foil, and / or plastic laminates. For example, in some embodiments, the covering 112 may include aluminum, stainless steel, and / or polyvinyl chloride (PVC).The sheathing 112 may consist of one or more pieces of material and may be positioned around all or substantially all of the periphery of the insulating member 106. For example, a one-piece sheathing 112 may include a first end 124 and a second end 126. The first end 124 may be overlapped over the second end 126 with the ends secured together (such as by the use of tape, adhesives, wire, bands, and / or other fastening mechanisms) to fully extend around and seal the insulation system 100. In some embodiments, a sealant, such as epoxy resin and / or mastic, may be provided at the interface between the first end 124 and the second end 126 to ensure that the protective sheathing 112 is fully sealed.In other embodiments, the cladding 112 may be provided as multiple arched pieces that can be coupled together to be placed around all or substantially all of the periphery of the insulating member 106. For example, the ends of each piece of cladding material may be secured together in an overlapping manner as described above. QI Cb I f\¡77(\7 / B / YILI extend completely around the insulation system 100. When installed around a pipe 102 and insulating member 106, the lining 112 may include a drain port 120 (as best shown in Figure IB), which can provide a location for water or any other fluid that needs to be drained and / or otherwise removed from the insulation system 100. For example, during installation, the drain port 120 may be cut and / or otherwise shaped in the bottom region of the lining 112, such as in a low area of ​​the insulation system 100. The drain port 120 may include a stop, such as a sealing cap, which can be used to seal the insulation system 100 when the insulation system 100 is not being drained. As will be explained in more detail later, the inner surface 114 (and possibly the outer surface 116) of the lining 112 may include an embossed texture 118. The embossed texture 118 may be formed by and / or otherwise include a number of protruding features and a number of indented features. A depth of a lower point of the indented features relative to a peak of the protruding features (or some other relative distance between such points) may provide clearance for water or any other fluid within the interior of the lining 112 to flow along the inner surface 114 for drainage, such as through the drain port 120. Figures 2A to 2E illustrate protective coatings 200 according to some embodiments of the present technology. The protective coating 200 can be used as a coating 112 in the insulation system 100 and can be understood to include any of the features described in relation to the coating 112. The coating 200 can include a coating body 202, which can include an inner surface 204 and an outer surface 206. The inner surface 204 can be positioned against an insulating member, so that an insulating member 106 and the outer surface 206 can form an outer (or ultra-peripheral) surface of an insulation system. The coating body 20 can have a thickness of from approximately 0.5 mm to 10 mm. In some embodiments, the inner surface 204 can include a moisture barrier, such as a polymer sheet and / or coating. The inner surface 204 (and possibly the outer surface 206) may include an engraved texture formed from a plurality of protruding features 208 and a plurality of indented features 210. In some embodiments, the protruding features 208 and indented features 210 may be arranged around the inner surface 204 (and possibly the outer surface 206) in a repeating pattern, with the protruding features 208 and indented features 210 evenly distributed around the inner surface 204 (and possibly the outer surface 206). In other embodiments, the protruding features 208 and / or indented features 210 may be randomly distributed around the OI Cb I f\¡77(\7 / B / YILI inner surface 204 (and possibly the outer surface 206). The arrangement of protruding features 208 and slitted features 210 may allow water to drain more easily through the inner surface 204 of the lining 200. For example, the arrangement of protruding features 208 and slitted features 210 may allow flow along the length of the lining 200 and / or along the transverse direction (for example, around the circumference of the inner surface 204). In some embodiments, to promote fluid drainage, at least 40% of the inside surface 204 may include the slit features 210 and / or other open area. For example, between approximately 40% and 90% of the inside surface 204 may include slit features 210, between approximately 45% and 80% may include slit features 210, between approximately 50% and 70% may include slit features 210, or between approximately 55% and 60% may include slit features 210. In some embodiments, at least 10% of the inside surface 204 may include the protruding features 208.For example, between approximately 10% and 60% of the inside surface 204 may include the protruding features 208, between approximately 20% and 55% may include the protruding features 210, between approximately 30% and 50% may include the protruding features 208, or between approximately 40% and 45% may include the protruding features 208. At least some of the protruding features 208 may extend at least 1 mm beyond a lower depth than at least some of the recessed features 210. For example, the protruding features 208 may extend between 1 mm and 10 mm beyond the recessed features 210, between 1.25 mm and 8 mm, between 1.5 mm and 6 mm, between 1.75 mm and 4 mm, or between 2 mm and 3 mm. The distance can be measured from a higher point of a protruding feature 208 and a lower point of a cleft feature 210 close to the protruding feature 208.In some forms, each of the projecting features 208 may have the same size (e.g., projection distance, shape, area, etc.), whereas in other forms, some or all of the projecting features 208 may have different sizes. Similarly, each of the indented features 210 may have the same size (e.g., indent depth, shape, area, etc.) and / or may have different sizes. Some or all of the projecting features 208 and indented features 210 may have the same or different sizes.By using an arrangement of protruding features 208 and indented features 210 in which at least some of the protruding features 208 extend at least 1 mm beyond the indented features 210 with at least 40% of the inner surface 204 including indented features 210, the embodiments of the present technology can allow fluid to drain rapidly from the interior of the lining 200 while simultaneously reducing a quantity of residual fluid within the lining 200 and / or the insulation system. α I Cb I f\¡77(\7 / Β / ΥΙΛΙ The embossed texture (including the protruding features 208 and indented features 210) can have various forms. For example, as shown in Figure 2A, the embossed texture can be a corrugated texture that includes a wavy pattern with protruding features 208a and indented features 210. For example, the protruding features 208a can include ridges or recesses, while the indented features 210a can include grooves or troughs. The protruding features 208a and indented features 210a can be arranged so that the ridges and troughs extend over a length of the casing 2000, which can allow the troughs to serve as conduits for fluid to flow along the length of the casing 200a to a drain port. As illustrated in Figure 2B, the etched texture can be a stucco pattern that includes a random pattern of protruding features 208b and indented features 210b. For example, the stucco pattern may include a dash pattern (e.g., a fine dash, a thick dash, an interference dash, etc.) that comprises a mixture of high regions (e.g., protruding features 208b) and low regions (e.g., indented features 210b). The high and low regions may have random shapes and sizes, with the height / depth transitions between regions varying in some modes. As noted above, the highest points of at least some of the protruding features 210b may extend at least 1 mm from the lowest point of some of the indented features 210a. As illustrated in Figure 2C, the embossed texture may have a pattern that includes repeating shapes, such as ovals, circles, and / or other forms. For example, the pattern may include repeating indented features 210 such as oval, circular, and / or other shapes with protruding features 208c extending between and separating features adjacent to the indented features 210. In some embodiments, the indented features 210c may be provided in a number of rows and / or columns, with the indented features 210 within each row alternating and / or aligned with indented features 210c in adjacent columns and / or rows. As illustrated, a number of smaller depressions 212c may be provided within each indented feature 210.For example, as illustrated, each cleft feature 210c has an oval shape, while a number of smaller circular depressions 212c are provided within each cleft feature 210c. Each of the depressions 212c may be deeper than the respective cleft feature 210c. It will be appreciated that the number, size, and shape of the depressions 212c may vary when present. In some forms, the protruding features 208c may include the repeating shapes, while the cleft features 210c extend between and separate adjacent protruding features 208c. QI Cb I f\¡77(\7 / B / YILI As illustrated in Figure 2D, the engraved texture may be a pattern that includes a number of notches or perforations arranged at regular and / or irregular intervals. The notches (e.g., indented features 210d) may be oval, circular, and / or other shapes with protruding features 208d extending between and separating adjacent indented features 210d. In some embodiments, the indented features 210d may be provided in a number of rows and / or columns, with the indented features 210d within each row alternating and / or aligned with indented features 210d in adjacent columns and / or rows. As illustrated, a number of smaller depressions 212 may be arranged between adjacent indented features 210d.For example, as illustrated, each cleft feature 210d is circular, while a number of smaller circular depressions 2123 are located between each of the adjacent cleft features 210d. Each of the depressions 212d may be shallower than the cleft features 210d. It will be noted that the number, size, and shape of the depressions 212d may vary when present. In some embodiments, perforations may extend between the protruding features 208d, which may be oval, circular, and / or other shapes, while the cleft features 210d extend between and separate adjacent protruding features 208d. As illustrated in Figure 2E, the engraved texture can be a woven pattern comprising a number of intersecting segments. As illustrated, the segments are generally coplanar and form the raised features 208e. In such embodiments, the raised features 208e can effectively be a continuous high surface, with a number of gaps formed within it. The gaps between the respective intersecting features can form indented features 210e, which can generally be diamond-shaped, the shape being defined by the sides of the intersecting segments. In some embodiments, the intersecting segments can form the indented features 210e, with the gaps forming the raised features 208e so that the indented features 210e form a generally continuous low area. Although generally shown in a cylindrical shape, the protective linings described here can have other shapes to meet the needs of a specific application. For example, the linings can have non-circular cross-sectional shapes to fit pipes, containers, and / or other equipment that do not have cylindrical and / or curved exterior surfaces. Additionally, the linings can be formed at elbow joints and / or other fittings to accommodate various pipe and / or container elements. Figure 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a process 300 for manufacturing a protective coating according to some embodiments of the present invention. Process 300 can be used to produce a protective coating, such as a coating 112 or 200 described above. Process 300 can begin in operation 302 by providing a sheet and / or roll of coating material, such as aluminum or stainless steel. The coating material can be provided in an industrial size, which can then be cut and / or otherwise formed into smaller pieces for installation applications. In operation 304, an inner surface of the coating material can be bonded with a moisture barrier, such as a polymeric moisture barrier.In some embodiments, the moisture barrier may be laminated, sprayed, plated, bonded, and / or otherwise applied to the inner surface of the lining material. In operation 306, the lining material may be embossed with a texture. In some embodiments, the lining may be made by the use of a flat die. For example, the die may include an embossed texture (such as a vertical corrugated pattern, a repeating oval pattern, a repeating circular pattern, a perforated pattern, a stucco pattern, and / or a grid pattern) formed on a die surface. The die may be pressed against the inner surface of the lining material to form the embossed texture on the inner (and possibly outer) surface of the lining material. In other embodiments, a roller may be used to impart the embossed texture to the lining material.For example, the coating material may be passed through one or more rollers, where at least one of the rollers includes the embossed texture. The one or more rollers may apply pressure to the coating material, causing the embossed texture to be imparted to the inner (and possibly outer) surface of the coating material. After etching the cladding material, one or more finishing operations can be performed. For example, the cladding material can be trimmed and / or otherwise shaped into cladding of a desired size. In some embodiments, the cladding material can be wound (or rewound) into coils of a desired diameter. The cladding material can be cut, pressed, molded, and / or otherwise shaped into cladding for elbow joints, fittings, and / or other non-cylindrical shapes. Figure 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a process 400 for insulating a pipe or container according to the embodiments of the present invention. The process 400 may include installing an insulation system (such as an insulation system 1009) which may include a protective lining (such as a lining 112 or 200). The process 400 may begin at operation 402 by positioning an inner surface of an arched insulation member against an outer surface of a pipe or container. In some embodiments, the insulation member may be placed directly against the outer surface of the pipe or container without any intermediate layer. The process 400 may also include placing an inner surface of a protective lining against an outer surface of the arched insulation member in operation 402. QI Cb I f\¡77(\7 / B / YILI 400. In some embodiments, the inner surface of the protective coating can be placed directly against the outer surface of the arched insulating member without any intermediate layer. In some embodiments, an outer surface of the coating can form an ultra-peripheral surface of a pipe insulation system. The inner surface of the protective coating may include an embossed texture formed from a plurality of protruding features and a plurality of indented features. At least some of the protruding features extend at least 1 mm beyond the indented features, which may provide a clearance between the outer surface of the insulation member and the inner surface of the protective coating. This clearance may provide a passage for water and / or other fluids that need to be drained from inside the insulation system. In some embodiments, at least 40% of the inner surface of the protective coating may include indented features, which may ensure that sufficient clearance is provided to facilitate faster and more complete drainage of fluids from inside the insulation system.In some designs, the embossed texture may allow the fluid to flow transversely (for example, along the circumference of the protective liner). This can further facilitate fluid drainage from all areas of the insulation system. In operation 406, the ends of the protective covering may be secured together. For example, the protective covering may be provided as a single piece of material or multiple pieces of material. Opposite ends of the single piece of material (spliced ​​ends of adjacent pieces of material) may be overlapped and secured together. In the case of a single-piece protective covering, a first end of the protective covering may be overlapped with a second end and secured together in that overlapped configuration so that the protective covering completely surrounds the periphery of the insulating member. The ends of the protective covering may be secured together by the use of straps, wires, tape, adhesives, and / or other securing techniques.In some models, a sealing agent, such as an epoxy resin or putty, may be provided at the interface of the protective coating ends to help seal the protective coating to prevent water ingress. In some configurations, the 300 process may include forming one or more low-lying areas within the protective liner to create drain ports. For example, an installer may identify one or more low-lying areas within the protective liner along the length of the pipe or other container. A drain port may be cut, drilled, and / or otherwise formed in these low-lying areas on a bottom surface of the protective liner. These drain ports can serve as outlet openings through which any liquid can be removed. QI Cb I f\¡77(\7 / B / YILI present within the insulation system. In some embodiments, the drain ports may include stops that can be used to seal the inside of the protective lining when the drain ports are not being actively used to drain fluids from the insulation system. EXAMPLES A number of protective linings with different embossed textures were tested to determine drainage rates. Each lining was placed around an insulating member (as shown in Figures 1A to 1C), and a volume of water was added to the system through a tube inserted through the top of the lining, as shown in Figure 5. Drainage times for the tube, lining, and insulation system were recorded, along with the amount of liquid retained within the system. These data are shown in Table 1 below. QI Cb I f\¡77(\7 / B / YILI TABLE 1 Lining Configuration Pipe Drainage Time (minutes) System Drainage Time (minutes) Liquid Retained (%) Low Depth (Horizontal) Corrugated 8.50 16.00 28 Medium Depth (Horizontal) Corrugated 3.00 6.00 32 High Depth (Horizontal) Corrugated 6.00 15.00 33 Medium Depth (Vertical) Corrugated 0.50 1.00 12 Low Depth of Stucco 7.00 11.00 17 Medium Depth of Stucco 5.50 9.75 26 High Depth of Stucco 1.67 4.50 27 Flat 11.33 15.00 15 As shown above, greater depths of gravel (stucco) and corrugation result in faster drainage times, but can also tend to retain water within the system. Flat linings provide good drainage, but also very slow drainage times. Vertical corrugated lining provided the best results, with a fast drainage time and less water retention. Various depths of embedding were performed for the stucco and vertical corrugated linings, with the time required to drain 100 ml of water from the system shown in Figure 6. As illustrated, there are diminishing returns in the drainage rate with increasing corrugation depths, with embedding depths of approximately 0.9 or 1.0 mm providing the best drainage rates. Similarly, stucco linings with embedding depths greater than approximately 1.0 or 1.2 mm showed improved drainage rates. Tests were also conducted to determine the effect of an open area (e.g., covered with grooved features) on drainage rates. A fixed volume of 100 ml was introduced into the system, and the drainage time was monitored. Several gravel textures were tested, as shown in Table 2 below. QI Cb I f\¡77(\7 / B / YILI TABLE 2 Engraved Texture Time (seqs) Expanded Metal / Corrugated (Wide) 7 Expanded Metal / Corrugated (Narrow) 7 Oval (66% open area) 7 Wave (53% open area) 7 Circle (44% open area) 8 Perforated Plate (40% open area) 15 Perforated Plate (30% open area) 27 Perforated Plate (20% open area) 34 As shown in Figure 7, open areas greater than approximately 40% provided the fastest drainage times among all lining types. The methods, systems, and devices explained above are examples. Some modalities were described as processes illustrated as flowcharts or block diagrams. Although each can describe the operations as a sequential process, several operations can be carried out in parallel or simultaneously. Furthermore, the order of operations can be rearranged. A process may have additional steps not included in the figure. It will also be appreciated that all the testing methods described here can be based on testing standards in use at the time of their presentation or those developed after their presentation. It should be noted that the systems and devices described above are intended solely as examples. It is important to emphasize that various modalities may omit, substitute, or add various procedures or components, as appropriate. Furthermore, the characteristics described for certain modalities may be combined in several other modalities. The different aspects and elements of the modalities may be combined in a similar manner. It should also be emphasized that technology evolves, and thus, several of the elements are examples and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention. The description provides specific details to ensure a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, a person skilled in the art will understand that the embodiments can be implemented without these specific details. For example, well-known structures and techniques have been shown without unnecessary detail to avoid obscuring the embodiments. This description provides only exemplary embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention. On the contrary, the following description of the embodiments will provide those skilled in the art with a description that enables the implementation of the embodiments of the invention. Various changes can be made to the function and arrangement of the elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Having described several embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents can be used without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the foregoing elements may simply be a component of a larger system, where other rules may take precedence over or otherwise modify the application of the invention. Also, a number of steps may be taken before, during, or after the foregoing elements are considered. Consequently, the foregoing description should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention. Furthermore, the words comprise, comprising, contains, containing, include, and including when used in this specification and in the following claims are intended to specify the presence of stated features, whole numbers, components, or steps, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more features, whole numbers, components, steps, acts, or groups. Unless otherwise defined, all scientific and technical terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly or conventionally understood. As used herein, the articles "a" and "an" refer to one or more (i.e., at least one) of the grammatical object of the article. By way of example, "an element" means one element or more than one element. "About" and / or "approximately," as used herein when referring to a measurable value such as a quantity, a duration of time, and the like, includes variations of ±20% or ±10%, ±5%, or ±0.1% from the specified value, as such variations are appropriate in the context of the systems, devices, circuits, methods, and other implementations described herein.Substantially as used herein when referring to a measurable value such as a quantity, a time duration and physical attribute (such as frequency) and the like, also includes variations of ±20% or ±10%, ±5%, or ±0.1% from the specified value, as such variations are appropriate with the context of the systems, devices, circuits, methods and other implementations described herein. α IC± I f\¡77(\7 / Β / ΥΙΛΙ As used herein, including in the claims, and as used in a list of items preceded by "at least one of" or "one or more of," indicates that any combination of the mentioned terms may be used. For example, a list of "at least one of A, B, and C" includes any of the combinations A or B or C or AB or AC or BC and / or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). Furthermore, to the extent that more than one occurrence or use of the items A, B, or C is possible, multiple uses of A, B, and / or C may form part of the combinations contemplated. For example, a list of "at least one of A, B, and C" may also include AA, AAB, AAA, BB, etc.

Claims

1. A pipe insulation system comprising: an insulating member having an inner surface and an outer surface; and a protective coating having an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein: the inner surface of the protective coating is arranged around the outer surface of the insulating member; the inner surface of the protective coating comprises an embossed texture formed from a plurality of protruding features and a plurality of indented features; and the plurality of protruding features may extend at least 1 mm beyond the plurality of indented features.

2. The pipe insulation system according to claim 1, further characterized in that: the inner surface of the protective coating is placed directly against the outer surface of the insulation member.

3. The pipe insulation system according to claim 1, further characterized in that: at least 40% of the inner surface of the protective coating comprises the plurality of split features.

4. The pipe insulation system according to claim 1, further characterized in that: the outer surface of the coating can form an ultra-peripheral surface of the pipe insulation system.

5. The pipe insulation system according to claim 1, further characterized in that: the inner surface of the insulating member is arranged around an outer surface of a pipe or container.

6. The pipe insulation system according to claim 1, further characterized in that: the embossed texture allows the flow of the liquid in a transverse direction.

7. The pipe insulation system according to claim 1, further characterized in that: the protective coating comprises a drainage port.

8. A protective coating comprising: a coating body having an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein: the inner surface of the coating body comprises an embossed texture formed from a plurality of raised features and a plurality of recessed features; at least 40% of the inner surface of the protective coating comprises the plurality of recessed features; and the plurality of raised features extends at least 1 mm beyond the plurality of recessed features.

9. The protective coating according to claim 8, further characterized in that: the outer surface of the coating body comprises the embossed texture.

10. The protective coating according to claim 8, further characterized in that: the embossed texture comprises at least one texture selected from the group consisting of: a vertical corrugated pattern, a repeating oval pattern, a repeating circular pattern, a perforated pattern, a stucco pattern, and a wavy pattern.

11. The protective coating according to claim 8, further characterized in that: the coating body comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, stainless steel and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

12. The protective coating according to claim 8, further characterized in that: the embossed texture allows the flow of the liquid in a transverse direction.

13. The protective coating according to claim 8, further characterized in that: the plurality of protruding features may extend no more than 10 mm beyond the plurality of recessed features.

14. The protective coating according to claim 8, further characterized in that: the protective coating forms an outermost layer of a pipe insulation system.

15. A method for insulating a pipe or container, comprising: positioning an inner surface of an insulating member against an outer surface of a pipe or container; positioning an inner surface of a protective coating against an outer surface of the insulating member, wherein: the inner surface of the protective coating comprises an embossed texture formed from a plurality of protruding features and a plurality of indented features; and the plurality of protruding features extends at least 1 mm beyond the plurality of indented features; and securing the ends of the protective coating together.

16. The insulation method for a pipe or container according to claim 15, further characterized in that it additionally comprises: forming a drainage port in a low region of the protective coating.

17. The insulation method for a pipe or container according to claim 15, further characterized in that: securing the ends of the protective covering together comprises overlapping a first end over a second end and securing the first end and the second end in an overlapping configuration.

18. The insulation method for a pipe or container according to claim 15, further characterized in that: at least 40% of the inner surface of the protective coating comprises the plurality of split features.

19. The insulation method for a pipe or container according to claim 15, further characterized in that: the embossed texture allows the flow of the liquid in a transverse direction.

20. The insulation method for a pipe or container according to claim 15, further characterized in that: the inner surface of the protective coating is positioned directly against the outer surface of the insulation member; and an outer surface of the coating forms an outermost surface of a pipe insulation system.

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