Heat Transfer: Exercises Conduction

Solution

q  UT where U is the overall heat transfer coefficient given by:

q 15
U   0.333W / m 2 K
T 25  (20)

1
 1 L p Li Ls 1 
U        0.333
 hi k p k i k s ho 

 1 L p Li Ls 1  1
     
 hi k p k i k s ho  0.333

 1  1 L p Ls 1    1  1 0.003 0.001 1  
Li  k i         0.07      
 0.333  hi k p k s ho    0.333 12 1 16 8 

Li  0.195m (195 mm)

Example 2.3

Water flows through a cast steel pipe (k = 50 W/m K) with an outer diameter of 104 mm and 2 mm
wall thickness.

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14
Heat Transfer: Exercises Conduction

i. Calculate the heat loss by convection and conduction per metre length of uninsulated pipe
when the water temperature is 15oC, the outside air temperature is -10oC, the water side heat
transfer coefficient is 30 kW/m2 K and the outside heat transfer coefficient is 20 W/m2 K.
ii. Calculate the corresponding heat loss when the pipe is lagged with insulation having an
outer diameter of 300 mm, and thermal conductivity of k = 0.05 W/m K.

Solution

Plain pipe

Q
Q  2 r1 Lhi Ti  T1   Ti  T1 
2 r1 Lhi

2Lk T1  T2  Q
Q  T2  T1 
lnr2 / r1  2 Lk / ln(r2 / r1 )

Q
Q  2 r2 Lho T2  To   T2  To 
2 r2 Lho

Adding the three equations on the right column which eliminates the wall temperatures gives:

2LTi  To 
Q
1 ln r2 / r1  1
 
hi r1 k ho r2

Q 2 15  (10) 
  163.3W / m
L 1 ln0.052 / 0.05 1
 
30000  0.05 50 20  0.052

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15
 Heat Transfer: Exercises Conduction

Insulated pipe

Q 2 Ti  To 

L 1 lnr2 / r1  ln(r3 / r2 ) 1
  
hi r1 k k ins ho r3

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16
Heat Transfer: Exercises Conduction

Q 2 15  (10) 
  7.3W / m
L 1 ln0.052 / 0.05 ln(0.15 / 0.052) 1
 
30000  0.05 50 0.05 20  0.15

For the plain pipe, the heat loss is governed by the convective heat transfer coefficient on the outside,
which provides the highest thermal resistance. For the insulated pipe, the insulation provides the
higher thermal resistance and this layer governs the overall heat loss.

Example 2.4

Water at 80oC is pumped through 100 m of stainless steel pipe, k = 16 W/m K of inner and outer radii
47 mm and 50 mm respectively. The heat transfer coefficient due to water is 2000 W/m2 K. The outer
surface of the pipe loses heat by convection to air at 20oC and the heat transfer coefficient is 200 W/m2
K. Calculate the heat flow through the pipe. Also calculate the heat flow through the pipe when a layer
of insulation, k = 0.1 W/m K and 50 mm radial thickness is wrapped around the pipe.

Solution

The equation for heat flow through a pipe per unit length was developed in Example 2.3:

2LTi  To 
Q
1 ln r2 / r1  1
 
hi r1 k ho r2

Hence substituting into this equation:

2  10080  20
Q  0.329  10 6 W
1 ln50 / 47  1
 
0.047  2000 16 0.05  200

For the case with insulation, we also use the equation from Example 2.3

2LTi  To 
Q
1 lnr2 / r1  ln(r3 / r2 ) 1
  
hi r1 k k ins ho r3

2  10080  20 
Q  5.39  10 3 W
1 ln50 / 47  ln(100 / 50) 1
  
0.047  2000 16 0.1 0.1  200

Notice that with insulation, the thermal resistance of the insulator dominates the heat flow, so in the equation
above, if we retain the thermal resistance for the insulation and ignore all the other terms, we obtain:
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17