ChE 216

Optimization in Flow of Heat

by CONDUCTION
Determination of the Optimum Insulation Thickness
(xopt)

Evelyn R. Laurito
University of Santo Tomas

1/8/2012

ChE 216 Plant Design

Evelyn R. Laurito

Economic Analysis
Direct Cost, CD = Cost of heat lost
Fixed Cost, CF = Cost of maintenance and depreciation
TotalCosts
CT=CF+CD
Annual Cost, C
Fixed
Costs, CF

CTmin

xopt
Insulation Thickness (x)
1/8/2012

ChE 216 Plant Design

Evelyn R. Laurito

Variable
Costs, CD
2

Case 2: Heat Transfer Area

is not Constant
Consider an insulated steam pipe carrying saturated
steam; the pipe is exposed to air and the surroundings
Surrounding walls TS

TW
T0

T0

Satd
steam

Satd
steam

Insulation
1/8/2012

ChE 216 Plant Design

Evelyn R. Laurito

Case 2: Heat Transfer Area

is not Constant
Insulation

Saturated Steam

K thermal conductivity, W/mK

KF annual fixed cost per cost of
installed insulated pipe
ac cost of installed insulated
pipe/ (cm thickness . m length)
- emissivity of insulation walls
TW surface temp of insulation
DSO outside diam of insulated
pipe, cm

T0 steam temp, oC
0 Latent heat of steam, kJ/kg
W0 mass rate, kg/hr
bc cost of heat/kg

Steel Pipe
DO outside pipe diameter, cm
Di inside pipe diameter, cm
L Pipe Length, m

Heat loss = q, W or J/s

Hy hours/yr
1/8/2012

Air / Surrounding walls

ChE 216 Plant Design

TS ambient air temp, oC

hf convective HTC, W/m2K
hr radiant HTC, W/m2K
Evelyn R. Laurito

Case 2: Heat Transfer Area

is not Constant
1

1
2
200 K

14.4bc H y K (T0 TS )
2
DSO (hf hr ) DSO
DSO
200 K

ln

DO
0 K F a c
(hf hr ) DSO

If Tw is known

1 2

14.4bc H y K (T0 TW )
D
DSO
ln SO

DO
0 K F a c

1/8/2012

ChE 216 Plant Design

Evelyn R. Laurito

Case 2: Heat Transfer Area

is not Constant
1

T TS 4
hf 0.28 W

T TS
hf 0.27 W
DSO

BTU/hrfto F - - - for vertical cylinders

BTU/hrfto F - - - for horizontal cylinders

To convert to W/m2K, multiply hf by 5.678

hr

T 273 4 T 273 4
W
S
5.672



100

100
TW TS
1/8/2012

ChE 216 Plant Design

W/m2K
Evelyn R. Laurito

Problem 9-2/PTW
Determine the optimum economic thickness of insulation
that should be used under the following conditions:
saturated steam is being passed continuously in a steel pipe
with an outside diameter of 0.273 m. The temperature of
the steam is 480K, and the steam is valued at $0.004/kg.
The pipe is to be insulated with a material that has a
thermal conductivity of 0.052 W/mK. The cost of the
installed insulation per m of pipe length is $ 180It, where
It is the thickness of the insulation in meters. Annual fixed
charges including maintenance amount to 20% of the
initial installed cost. The total length of the pipe is 300 m,
and the average temperature of the surroundings is 295K.
Heat transfer resistances due to steam film, scale, pipe wall
and radiation are negligible. The air film coefficient at the
outside of the insulation may be assumed constant at 11.4
W/m2K, for all insulation thicknesses.
1/8/2012

ChE 216 Plant Design

Evelyn R. Laurito

Sample Problem
A vertical 1 inch sch 40 steel pipe, 6 m long is carrying saturated steam at
93.33oC. The pipe is lagged with insulation, with thermal conductivity of
0.5 W/mK and emissivity of 0.9. Cost of heat is $3/kg and cost of
installed pipe is $500 per cm thickness per m length. The life of the
installation is 10 years. The air and surroundings are at 30 oC.
i)
Optimum insulation thickness, cm
ii)
Minimum total cost
DO 1.3152.54

DO 3.35

L 6

T0 93.33

Ts 93.331.8

32

0 ( 1146 168.09) 2.32

K 0.5

0.9

b c 3

ac 500

1
KF
10

TS 30

TSF 86

Ts 199.994

oF
3

0 2.26875 10

Hy 8760

14.4 b H K T T

c y
0
S D

SO ( hf hr) DSO2

0 KF ac

DSO

DO

ln

1/8/2012

200 K

ChE 216 Plant Design

200 K
( hf hr) DSO
Evelyn R. Laurito

DO 1.3152.54

DO 3.35

L 6

T0 93.33

Ts 93.331.8

32

0 ( 1146 168.09) 2.32

K 0.5

0.9

b c 3

1
KF
10

ac 500

TS 30

TSF 86

Ts 199.994

oF
3

0 2.26875 10

Hy 8760

14.4 b H K T T

c y
0
S D

SO ( hf hr) DSO2

0 KF ac

200 K

DSO

DO

ln

1/8/2012

ChE 216 Plant Design

200 K
( hf hr) DSO

Evelyn R. Laurito

DSO 16
TW 47.8

Assume

TWF 1.8 TW 32

TWF 118.04

degF

1
4
TWF TSF

0.27 5.678

hf

Given

D SO
2.54 12

mK

hr

T 273 4 T 273 4
W
S

100 100

5.672

T W TS

hr 6.20067

1
2

200 K
14.4 b H K T T 1

c y
0
S D

SO

WF
SF

0.27 5.678
hr DSO

DSO

12 2.54

DSO
200 K

ln

1
0 KF ac

DO

4
TWF TSF

hr DSO
0.27 5.678

DSO

DSO Find DSO

DSO 17.8

12 2.54

cm
1

DSO DO
2

x 7.225

cm

TWF TSF

hf 0.27 5.678

DSO
12 2.54

Given
T0 TW
DSO DO
20 0

K L

DSO D O

TW TS
1
( hf hr)

DSO L
100

DSO
100
DO

ln

TW Find TW

TW 45.50715
degC

TWF 1.8 TW 32

DO 3.35

TWF 113.91287

Hy
T 0 TS
KF ac DSO DO L .3048

K L
2
0
DSO

K
ln

200

216 Plant Design

ChE
Evelyn
R. Laurito
DO
( hf hr) DSO

CT 7.2 b c

1/8/2012

10

CT 23166.7

Given
T0 TW

TW TS

DSO DO
20 0

K L

( hf hr)

D SO D O

DSO L
100

DSO
ln
100
DO

TW Find TW

TW 47.49704
degC

TWF 1.8 TW 32

CT 7.2 b c

Hy
0

K L

DO 3.35

TWF 117.49468

KF ac DSO DO L .3048

2

200

DO
( hf hr) DSO

T0 TS

ln

DSO

CT 22230.23
1/8/2012

ChE 216 Plant Design

Evelyn R. Laurito

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