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INTRODUCTION

Heat is transferred when two objects are of different temperature and this transfer

continuous until equilibrium is reached. This property of heat is true to all materials. Three

materials are said to be in thermal equilibrium if first material has the same temperature as the

second material and the second material has the same temperature as the third material. There

are different ways in which heat transfer occurs.

Heat is lost from the pipe, or other surfaces to the room in two ways

1. by conduction through and air film, and then by convection in the bulk of the air

2. by direct radiation to the cooler walks of the room.

Heat loss in pipes is not a favorable phenomenon in which an industry comes upon.

Aside from the energy lost during the transfer, the surroundings near the pipes may get hotter

and employees may not be comfortable in working. However, this cannot be prevented due to

its properties thus, controlling actions may be done such as coating the pipes with an insulating

material to reduce the transfer of heat from the pipe to the surroundings. Thus, a study in

thermal transfer of pipes is really a good background for a student to start since most processes

involves this phenomenon.

In conduction, heat can be conducted through different mediums. Energy is transferred

by the motion of adjacent atoms. The transfer of heat by convection implies the transfer of heat

by bulk transport and mixing of macroscopic elements of warmer portions with cooler portions

of gas or liquids. These usually represents fluids.

Radiation differs from heat transfer by conduction and convection in that no physical

medium is needed for its propagation. Radiation is the transfer of energy through space by

means of electromagnetic waves in much the same way as electromagnetic light waves transfer

light.

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2. THEORITICAL BACKGROUND

Heat transfer is a discipline of thermal engineering that concerns the generation, use,

conversion, and exchange of thermal energy (heat) between physical systems. Heat transfer is

classified into various mechanisms, such as thermal conduction, thermal convection, thermal

radiation, and transfer of energy by phase changes.. Generally, this heat transfer occurs from a

high temperature material to a lower temperature material

Heat conduction, also called diffusion, is the direct microscopic exchange of kinetic

energy of particles through the boundary between two systems. When an object is at a

different temperature from another body or its surroundings, heat flows so that the body and

the surroundings reach the same temperature, at which point they are in thermal equilibrium.

Convective heat transfer, or convection, is the transfer of heat from one place to another

by the movement of fluids, a process that is essentially the transfer of heat via mass transfer.

Bulk motion of fluid enhances heat transfer in many physical situations, such as (for example)

between a solid surface and the fluid. Convection is usually the dominant form of heat transfer

in liquids and gases.

When two bodies are at different temperatures and separated by distance, the heat

transfer between them is called as radiation heat transfer. In case of the conduction and

convection heat transfer there is a media to transfer the heat, but in case of the radiation heat

transfer there is no media. The radiation heat transfer occurs due to the electromagnetic waves

that exist in the atmosphere.

Heat transfer is very important since it is frequently used in most of the processes, and

if not, is a natural occurring phenomenon and is inevitable in production. Industrial processes

usually require steam for operations such as heating. This medium is usually transported via

metal pipes. However, it is inevitable to encounter heat losses in this arrangement because of

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the inherent temperature difference existing between the hot pipes and the surroundings. This

can instead be minimized through insulations placed on bare pipes. On the other hand, if a

process requires enhancing heat losses then the use of fins would be more appropriate.

The heat loss of pipes is due to the temperature gradient between the pipe and the

surroundings. Temperature difference, the thermal resistance, and the heat transfer area are

common factors involving the rate of heat transfer. The most common approach in dealing with

heat loss in pipes is the installation of insulating materials in the surface of the pipes.

The rate of heat lost from a pipe carrying steam can be measured simply by determining

the rate of condensation of steam, m, which can be collected at a certain point interval of time.

By heat balance,

Equation 1

where,

Bare pipes are uninsulated kind of pipes. Pipes which are insulated are also called

lagged pipes.

To determine therefore the effectiveness of an insulation, it is just a matter of comparing the

heat lost from the pipe with an insulation with that from a bare pipe. Since heat lost is

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proportional to the rate of condensation, and the weight of condensate is proportional to the

volume of condensate v, assuming temperatures and pressures of condensates are the same,

then the lagging efficiency may be determined using the equation.

Equation 2

In convection the heat transfer coefficient can be calculated by the equation

∆𝑇
Convection coefficient, hc = 0.42( 𝐷 )0.25

Equation 3

While in radiation

T 4 T 4
1.73p[( s ) −( r ) ]
100 100
Radiation coefficient, hr = ΔT

Equation 4

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3. EXPERIMENTAL SECTION

3.1 Materials and Apparatus

- Boiler

- Test pipes – bare, paint, silver chrome paint, and 85% magnesia insulation

- Thermocouple

- Beakers

- Graduated Cylinder

- Stopwatch

3.2 Procedure

Two runs with steam at approximately 30 psig for each run was made.

1. The drain cock was cracked under the header to remove the water from the

steam line and header after adjusting the system to the desired pressure.

2. The four plug type valve was opened to blow out any condensate from the

pipes and was closed until only small amount of steam escapes along with

the condensate.

3. The condensate from each pipe was measured and collected over a time

interval of 15 minutes and the surface temperatures were read 20 inches

from the end of the pipe.

3.3 Specifications

LENGTH OF PIPE
PIPE NO. 1 2 3 4
PAINT BARE PIPE SILVER- 85%
COVERING CHROME MAGNESIA
PAINT INSULATION
OUTSIDE 1.3535 1.35 1.382 2.48
DIAMETER (in.)

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 EMMISIVITY 0.96 0.95 0.96 0.72

RUN NO.
BAROMETRIC 1 atm
PRESSURE
STEAM PRESSURE 30 psig
STEAM 84°C ≈ 183.2°F
TEMPERATURE

ROOM 30°C ≈ 86°F

TEMPERATURE
TIME/RUN 5 minutes

Table 3.3.1

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4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

. Heat is transmitted through the insulation by means of radiation, conduction and

convection. The relative amount of each of these three factors depends entirely upon the

construction of the insulating material. Offering some resistance to heat transfer such as

insulation can reduce the amount of heat that is to be transferred to the surroundings. The bare

pipes, the pipe having no coating or insulation, has the third highest temperature of the three

pipes. This is considered and error however, the difference between the temperature is very

small and considering the environment many errors are expected to occur especially it was an

open environment and the thermostats are not functioning consistently. However, for the pipe

that was coated with 85% magnesia, it shows to have the least temperature. This is true since

it has the thickest resistance while those covered with paints and silver chrome may have no

effect because of the deterioration of the insulating materials.

Pipe no. 1 2 3 4

Trial Point Surface Temperature

location

1st A 98°C 82°C 77°C 48°C

B 101°C 86°C 83°C 51°C

C 110.3°C 98.4°C 110.1°C 58.2°C

D 114°C 105.6°C 114°C 62.7°C

2nd A 99°C 80°C 78°C 46°C

B 102.5°C 86°C 83°C 50°C

C 113°C 105.6°C 109°C 61°C

D 117°C 110.2°C 113°C 65.1°C

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 Average Temperature 106.85°C 94.225°C 95.8875°C 55.25°C

≈ 224.33°F ≈ 201.605°F ≈ ≈ 131.45°F

204.5975°F

Average Condensate Collected 85.5 ml 77 ml 50 ml 32 ml

Lagging Efficiency 8.97% 0% 33.3% 58.97%

Convection Coefficient 1.89 1.74 1.63 1.73

Table 4.1

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5. CONCLUSION

Insulated pipes tend to have higher lagging efficiency in order to minimize heat losses

in industrial and commercial applications. The one coated with the 85% magnesia showed to

have the least temperature. This supports the theory since its resistance is the greatest among

the pipes. This kind of insulation is very useful in dealing with pipes especially in the industry

since the usage pipes is inevitable. It can prevent too much energy loss and can provide comfort

to the workers since heat is controlled. The experiment is not as successful as expected however

the error is small.

It is possible that any errors in the results and data could be in the reading of the surface

temperature of the pipes. Another one is the inconsistency of the thermal couples. Also, the

insulation around the pipes seemed to deteriorate.

6. RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended to fix the thermal insulation materials found in the piping since the

students suspect that it could be the cause of the error. Another one the usage of a carefully

calibrated thermocouple.

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7. REFERENCES

[1] https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/emissivity-coefficients-d_447.html

[2] https://dokumen.tips/documents/heat-loss-for-bare-and-lagged-pipes.html

[3] https://www.process-heating.com/articles/87988-calculating-heat-loss

[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_pipe[

[5] http://www.environmentcentre.com/wp-

content/uploads/2016/08/5_Pipe_lagging_new_branding.pdf

8. APPENDIX

8.1 Tables and figures

LENGTH OF PIPE
PIPE NO. 1 2 3 4
PAINT BARE PIPE SILVER- 85%
COVERING CHROME MAGNESIA
PAINT INSULATION
OUTSIDE 1.3535 1.35 1.382 2.48
DIAMETER (in.)

EMMISIVITY 0.96 0.95 0.96 0.72

RUN NO.
BAROMETRIC 1 atm
PRESSURE
STEAM PRESSURE 30 psig

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 STEAM 84°C ≈ 183.2°F
TEMPERATURE

ROOM 30°C ≈ 86°F

TEMPERATURE
TIME/RUN 5 minutes

Pipe no. 1 2 3 4

Trial Point Surface Temperature

location

1st A 98°C 82°C 77°C 48°C

B 101°C 86°C 83°C 51°C

C 110.3°C 98.4°C 110.1°C 58.2°C

D 114°C 105.6°C 114°C 62.7°C

2nd A 99°C 80°C 78°C 46°C

B 102.5°C 86°C 83°C 50°C

C 113°C 105.6°C 109°C 61°C

D 117°C 110.2°C 113°C 65.1°C

Average Temperature 106.85°C 94.225°C 95.8875°C 55.25°C

≈ 224.33°F ≈ 201.605°F ≈ ≈ 131.45°F

204.5975°F

Average Condensate Collected 85.5 ml 77 ml 50 ml 32 ml

Lagging Efficiency 8.97% 0% 33.3% 58.97%

Convection Coefficient 1.89 1.74 1.63 1.73

Table 4.1

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8.2 Computations

∆𝑇
8.2.1 Convection coefficient, hc = 0.42( 𝐷 )0.25

a. Painted pipe

224.33 −86 0.25 𝐵𝑡𝑢

hc = 0.42( ) = 2.485ℎ𝑟∙𝑓𝑡2 ∙°𝐹
0.1128

b. Bare pipe
201.605 − 86 0.25 𝐵𝑡𝑢
hc = 0.42( ) = 2.38ℎ𝑟∙𝑓𝑡2 ∙°𝐹
0.1128

c. Silver-chrome Paint pipe

204.69753 − 86 0.25 𝐵𝑡𝑢
hc = 0.42( ) = 2.208ℎ𝑟∙𝑓𝑡2 ∙°𝐹
0.1152

d. 85% Magnesia insulation

131.35 −86 0.25 𝐵𝑡𝑢
hc = 0.42( 0.2067
) = 1.61ℎ𝑟∙𝑓𝑡2 ∙°𝐹

T 4 T 4
1.73p[( s ) −( r ) ]
100 100
8.8.2 Radiation coefficient, hr = ΔT

a. Painted pipe

226.85 4 86 4
1.73(0.96)[( ) −( ) ] 𝐵𝑡𝑢
100 100
hr = = 0.3 ℎ𝑟∙𝑓𝑡 2 ∙°𝐹
226.85−86

b. Bare pipe

201.605 4 86 4
1.73(0.95)[( ) −( ) ] 𝐵𝑡𝑢
100 100
hr = = 0.23 ℎ𝑟∙𝑓𝑡2 ∙°𝐹
201.605−86

c. Silver-chrome Paint pipe

204.7 4 86 4
1.73(0.96)[( ) −( ) ] 𝐵𝑡𝑢
100 100
hr = = 0.24 ℎ𝑟∙𝑓𝑡 2 ∙°𝐹
204.7−86

d. 85% Magnesia insulation

131.35 4 86 4
1.73(0.72)[( ) −( ) ] 𝐵𝑡𝑢
100 100
hr = = 0.07 ℎ𝑟∙𝑓𝑡 2 ∙°𝐹
131.35−86

WB −WL
8.8.3 For the calculation of lagging efficiency (L.E.) = x100
WB

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a. Paint pipe

290 − 250
L.E. = 250
× 100 = 16.0%

b. Bare pipe
250 − 250
L.E. = × 100 = 0%
250

c. Silver-chrome paint pipe

177.5 − 250
L.E. = × 100 = 29.0%
250

d. 85% Magnesia pipe

170 − 250
L.E. = × 100 = 32.0%
250

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