Insulation system for a turbine and method

An insulation system for use with a turbine housing of the type having a tubular exterior surface centred about and defining a horizontal longitudinal axis, a vertical joint raised relative to the tubular exterior surface and dividing the housing into fore and aft tubular portions and a pair of horizontal joints raised relative to the tubular exterior surface and dividing the housing into upper and lower arcuate portions, said insulation system comprising:

• four insulation blankets removably positioned, in use, at respective operative positions upon said tubular exterior surface, in spaced relation to the horizontal joints and to the vertical joint so as to define between one another, in combination with the tubular surface of the housing, an annular channel in which the vertical joint is positioned and a pair of longitudinal channels each intersecting the annular channel and having positioned therein a respective horizontal joint;
• a pair of first insulation ribs for each longitudinal channel, said pair of first insulation ribs being removably positioned, in use, respectively, fore and aft of said vertical joint, in volume-filling relation to said each longitudinal channel, in straddling, close-fitting relation to the horizontal joint positioned in said each longitudinal channel and in overlapping relation to the insulation blankets disposed, respectively, on the fore and aft tubular portions of the housing;
• a pair of second insulation ribs, said pair of second insulation ribs being removably positioned, in use, respectively, above and beneath the horizontal joints, in volume-filling relation to the annular channel, in straddling, close-fitting relation to the vertical joint, and in overlapping relation to the insulation blankets disposed, respectively, on the upper and lower arcuate portions of the housing;
• and
• an insulation coupling member for each longitudinal channel, said insulation coupling member being removably positioned, in use, in said each longitudinal channel at the intersection thereof with the annular channel, in volume-filling relation to a void defined by the housing, the first insulation ribs and the second insulation ribs, in straddling, close-fitting relation to the horizontal joint positioned in said each longitudinal channel and to the vertical joint, and in lapped relation to the first insulation ribs and the second insulation ribs.