Estimation of heat losses from process
piping and equipment
An accessible predictive tool calculates surface heat losses from reinery piping
and equipment
AliRezA BAHAdoRi and HARi B VuTHAluRu
Curtin University of Technology
T
he most important part of the
energy management strategy
in any process industry is
energy saving. In this article, an
attempt has been made to formulate
a predictive tool that is easier to
apply than existing approaches, less
complicated with fewer computa-
tions, and suitable for reinery
process engineers, for the rapid
estimation of heat losses in terms of
wind velocity and the temperature
differences between process piping
and equipment surfaces and the
surrounding air.
The tool developed in this study
could be of immense practical value
for engineers and scientists to make
a quick check of heat losses to air in
contact with walls or surfaces with-
out the need for experimental
measurement. The results can be
used in follow-up calculations to
determine heat losses from process
piping and equipment surfaces
under various conditions. In partic-
ular, engineers should ind the tool
to be user-friendly with transparent
calculations involving no complex
expressions.
Due to limited energy resources,
and environmental pollution arising
from the use of fuels, energy saving
has become mandatory.1 In particu-
lar, industrial and chemical
processing plants contain intricate
and costly piping conigurations.
Piping systems are also employed
in many other situations, including
water supply, ire protection and
district cooling/heating applications.2
Several rigorous studies have
been reported in the literature on
the combined effects of convection
and surface radiation. However,
there is no simple-to-use predictive
www.eptq.com
Tuned coeficients used in
equations 3 to 6
Coeficient Value
A1 2.18201771352
B1 2.65054426648 x 10-1
C1 -1.895691067097 x 10-2
D1 4.641521705558 x 10-4
A2 6.616737105648 x 10-3
B2 -1.119534124965 x 10-3
C2 9.485846901915 x 10-5
D2 -2.43542487435 x 10-6
A3 -1.581032525858 x 10-5
B3 3.699760242622 x 10-6
C3 -3.222348926402 x 10-7
D3 8.774496064317 x 10-9
A4 2.1240407483723 x 10-8
B4 -5.7213183786357 x 10-9
C4 5.3052858118086 x 10-10
D4 -1.572916658647 x 10-11
Table 1
tool for an accurate estimation of
combination convection and radia-
tion ilm coeficients for air in
contact with vertical walls or
surfaces to give the combined heat
transfer coeficient in terms of
the wind velocity and the tempera-
ture difference between the process
piping and equipment surfaces and
the surrounding air for heat loss
calculations from various cases.
In view of this shortfall, our
efforts have been directed at formu-
lating a simple-to-use, predictive
tool that can serve practising engi-
neers and applied researchers. The
principal value of the proposed tool
lies in its accuracy and simplicity,
wherein the relevant coeficients
can be retuned quickly if more data
are available in the future. The case
study presented here demonstrates
the usefulness of the proposed tool.
The present study discusses the
formulation of a simple correlation
that can be of signiicant impor-
tance for engineers.
development of a simple
predictive tool
Equation 1 calculates a coeficient, ,
which is the difference in tempera-
ture between a surface and the
surrounding air, C:
T = Ts -Ta (1)
The data required to develop the
irst correlation include reliable
data3 for various values of wind
velocity, and the temperature differ-
ence between the surface and the
surrounding air. The following
methodology has been applied to
develop the predictive tool.1,2
First, combination convection and
radiation ilm coeficients for air in
contact with vertical walls or
surfaces (hcr) in W/(m.C) are corre-
lated as a function of the
temperature difference between the
surface and the surrounding air
values (T) in C for different wind
velocity values (v) in metres per
second. Then, the calculated coefi-
cients for these equations are
correlated as a function of wind
velocity values. The derived equa-
tions are applied to calculate new
coeficients for equation 2 to predict
combination convection and radia-
tion ilm coeficients for air in
contact with vertical walls or
surfaces. Table 1 shows the tuned
coeficients for Equations 3 to 6
according to the data.3
In brief, the following steps are
repeated to tune the coeficients of
Equations 1 and 2:
Correlate the combination
convection and radiation ilm coef-
PTQ Q2 2010 121
 surface less the temperature of
surrounding air) up to 280C.
Equation 7 calculates heat losses
from equipment surfaces occur
primarily by radiation and

convection:

Q = hcr (Ao) (Ts - Ta) (7)

Results

Figure 1 illustrates the results of a

proposed correlation for predicting
combination convection and radia-
tion ilm coeficients for air in
contact with walls or surfaces in
comparison with some typical data
obtained from the literature.3 Figure
2 demonstrates the performance of
Figure 1 Prediction of combination convection and radiation ilm coeficients for air in a proposed predictive tool for a
contact with vertical walls or surfaces in comparison with some typical data3 wide range of conditions. As can be
seen, the results of the new
icients for air in contact with surfaces, and the temperature proposed correlation are accurate
vertical walls or surfaces as a func- difference between the surface and and acceptable. This graph also
tion of the temperature difference the surrounding air values: demonstrates the performance of
between the surface and the the proposed correlation. A case
surrounding air for a given wind hcr = a + b(T) + c(T)2 + d(T)3 (2) study is given below to demon-
Repeat step 1 for other values of strate the simplicity of the proposed
wind velocity Where: predictive tool for the estimation of
Correlate corresponding polyno- combination convection and radia-
mial coeficients, which are obtained a = A1 + B1v + C1v2 + D1v3 (3) tion ilm coeficients for air in
in the previous steps, against wind b = A2 + B2v + C2v2 + D2v3 (4) contact with vertical walls or
velocity, so that we have: a = f(v), c = A3 + B3v + C3v2 + D3v3 (5) surfaces.
b = f(v), c = f(v), d = f(v) (see d = A4 + B4v + C4v2 + D4v3 (6)
Equations 3 to 6). Case study
Equation 2 presents a new corre- The tuned coeficients used in How much heat can be saved per
lation in which four coeficients are Equations 3 to 6 are given in Table linear metre by covering a 200 mm
used to correlate the combination 1 and help to cover the reported NPS Sch 40 steam header, carrying
convection and radiation ilm coef- data with wind velocity variations 100 kPa (ga) steam at 120C, with a
icients for air in contact with up to 20 m/s and temperature 25 mm thick layer of block insula-
process piping and equipment gradients (the temperature of a tion? Assume ambient conditions
are -1C with a 24 km/h wind. For
the insulated pipe, assume that the
outside surface of the insulation is
at 10C
Coeicient for combined convection and

Wind velocity = 17 m/s

radiation, W/(square meter, C)

Solution
Using Equations 2 to 6, the heat
loss from the bare pipe is:

a = 3.2440444304 (from equation 3)

b = 2.64750085877 x 10-3 (from equation 4)
101 c = -2.8669570727 x 10-6 (from equation 5)
Wind velocity = 0 m/s (still air) d = 2.016839208 x 10-9 (from equation 6)
100 101 102 hcr = 33.9874 W/(mC) (from equation 2)
Temperature of surface less temperature of air, C Do = 0.219 m
Tw = 120C
Ta = -1C
L= 1m
Figure 2 Performance of proposed predictive tool for estimation of combination Q = hcr(Ao) (Tw - Ta) = (33.2)(1)() (0.219) (120 -
convection and radiation ilm coeficients for air in contact with vertical walls or surfaces (-1))= 2917 W/(per linear m) (from equation 7)

122 PTQ Q2 2010 www.eptq.com

 For the insulated pipe, assume
that the outside surface of the insu-
lation is at 10 C. Then:
a = 3.24404443 (from equation 3)
b = 2.647500858 x 10-3 (from equation 4)
c = -2.86695707 x 10-6 (from equation 5)
d = 2.016839208 x 10-9 (from equation 6)
hcr = 26.3857 (from equation 2)
Q = 26.3857(1)() (0.219+2 x 0.025) [10 -(-
1)]= 245 W/(per linear m)
(from equation 7)
Heat saved = 2917 - 245 = 2672 W/m
Conclusions
An attempt has been made to
formulate a novel and simple-to-use
predictive tool for the prediction of
heat loss rate for air in contact with
the process piping and equipment
surfaces. This tool gives the
combined heat transfer coeficient,
in terms of the wind velocity and
the temperature difference between
the surface and the surrounding air.
The results can be used in follow-
up design calculations to determine
heat losses from equipment surfaces
under various conditions.
Mechanical and process engineers
should ind the proposed tool to be
user-friendly, with transparent
calculations involving no complex
expressions.
Acknowledgement
The lead author acknowledges the Australian
Department of Education, Science and Training
for Endeavour International Postgraduate
Research Scholarship (EIPRS), the Ofice of
Research & Development at Curtin University
of Technology, Perth, Western Australia, for
providing Curtin University Postgraduate
Research Scholarship and the State Government
of Western Australia for providing top-up
scholarship through Western Australian Energy
Research Alliance (WA:ERA).
Nomenclature
A, B, C and D: Coeficients
Ao: Outside area, m2
Do: outside diameter, m
hcr: Combined convection and radiation heat
transfer coeficient, (W/(mC))
Q: Heat loss, W/(linear metre)
Ts: Surface temperature, C
Ta: Surrounding air temperature, C
v: Wind velocity, m/s
T: Temperature difference between the
surface and the surrounding air, C.
References
1 Bahadori A, Vuthaluru H B, A simple method
for the estimation of thermal insulation
thickness, Applied Energy, 87, 2010, 613619.
2 Bahadori A, Vuthaluru H B, A simple
correlation for estimation of economic
thickness of thermal insulation for process
piping and equipment, Applied Thermal
Engineering, 30, 2010, 254259.
3 Gas Processors and Suppliers Association
Engineering Data book, GPSA, 2004, 12th
edition, Tulsa, OK.
Alireza Bahadori is a PhD Researcher in the
School of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
at Curtin University of Technology, Perth,
Australia. Email: alireza.bahadori@postgrad.
curtin.edu.au
Hari B Vuthaluru is an Associate Professor
in the School of Chemical and Petroleum
Engineering at Curtin University of Technology,
Perth, Australia.

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