The application of aerogel felt in thermal pipelines can effectively enhance the insulation performance, reduce heat loss, especially for long-distance pipelines, and minimize the temperature drop at the terminal. 
In addition to the improvement in energy-saving performance brought by aerogel felt, it can significantly reduce the amount of materials used and the thickness of pipe insulation, thereby generating considerable added value in terms of reducing labor costs, pipe trench costs, and the amount of steel pipe used. 
I. Advantages of Aerogel Felt Compared with Traditional Materials
1. Low thermal conductivity, and the change is relatively small with the increase of temperature. 
Aerogel felt has the lowest thermal conductivity among existing insulation materials and excellent heat insulation performance. As the temperature rises, the increase in thermal conductivity is relatively slow. 
2. Save materials and space 
Under the same conditions, the thickness of aerogel felt is only a quarter of that of traditional insulation materials. The reduction in thickness can save transportation costs and expenses of insulation materials. On the premise of ensuring the quality of insulation engineering, it improves the space utilization rate. 
3. High hydrophobicity 
After special processing, the aerogel insulation blanket surface generates a lotus leaf effect, which is not affected by a humid environment and reduces the aging phenomenon of pipelines. 
II. Comparison between Aerogel Blankets and Traditional Insulation Materials
Among the three insulation materials - aluminum silicate cotton, aerogel blankets, and rock wool composite - all meet the design requirement of the outer layer temperature being ≤ 50℃. However, aerogel blankets stand out in terms of material savings, energy conservation, and space efficiency. 
In terms of energy conservation and insulation, aerogel blanket insulation materials are superior to the other two traditional materials. Under the premise of economic affordability, they can further improve the energy-saving rate by 23.7% compared with rock wool. 
In terms of material usage, compared with the two traditional materials, aerogel felt saves 1,254 cubic meters of space for every 10 kilometers. This can significantly reduce the costs of pipe trench construction or leasing and labor for underground pipeline networks. 
In terms of service life and maintenance, aerogel felt, due to its own hydrophobicity and excellent nano-pore effect, can effectively slow down the damage to insulation materials caused by water erosion, which is 4 to 5 times the service life of traditional materials. Thus, it can increase the service life of underground heating networks, reduce maintenance costs and the secondary expenses of re-excavation for repairs.