A Review of Temperature Reduction Methods in Codes and Standards for Pipe Supports

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Mayes ◽  
Phillip Wiseman ◽  
Kshitij P. Gawande
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Computational Models ◽  
Thermal Stresses ◽  
Geometrical Parameters ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Closed Form Solutions ◽  
Temperature Reduction ◽  
Reduction Methods ◽  
American Society ◽  
Transient Thermal

Abstract American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section III, Division 1, Subsection NF, Subparagraph NF-3121.11 does not require that thermal stresses in supports be evaluated. Historically, pipe support engineers have not been concerned with thermal stresses of pipe and component supports, but determining material temperature limits and allowable stresses have been a major role in designing and analyzing supports. Thus, heat transfer is often investigated in finding the temperature of pipe supports and parts of pipe supports that are not in direct contact with pipe or pipe components. There are also other Codes and standards that permit a reduction of temperature away from the outer surface of pipe or pipe components. In some but not all cases, Codes and standards explicitly address reduction of temperature for applications of utilizing thermal insulation. Additionally, the temperature distribution is established by specific geometrical parameters and their respective equations for employment by the pipe support engineer. These reductions are explored by utilizing fundamentals of heat transfer. Additionally, steady-state and transient thermal Finite Element Analyses (FEA) are used to establish computational models of simple geometric bodies in a range of atmospheric conditions. The effects of insulation on the thermal distribution are also represented through closed form solutions and FEA. The results of these analyses allow for assessment of, and recommendations for, the treatment of temperature reduction in Codes and standards.

Mitigation of Bending Stress and Failure Due to Temperature Differentials in Piping Systems Carrying Multiphase Fluids: Using CFD and FEA

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Diwakar ◽  
Vibhor Mehrotra ◽  
Franklin Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Thermal Stresses ◽  
Initial Stresses ◽  
Piping System ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Element Analysis ◽  
Pipe System ◽  
Piping Systems ◽  
The Dead ◽  
Piping Networks

The bending of large pipes due to temperature differentials between the bottom and top of the pipe is a very serious problem. The temperature differentials can either be caused by extremely cold liquids (such as methane or ethylene flowing from a lateral into a flare header) or hot liquids flowing at the bottom of a piping system (such as in a Vacuum transfer line) while the top is exposed to atmospheric conditions. In some cases liquids may be produced by Joule-Thompson cooling of high pressure cold gas as it expands through a safety-relief or emergency depressurization valve. The liquid so formed can accumulate, for example, on the dead leg side of a flare header. The differential expansion can deform the pipe so that it lifts off its supports. It takes a finite amount of time for the heat transfer by conduction to equilibrate the temperature to a more benign level. The initial stresses induced due to large thermal differential may even cause the pipe to crack in the region of the supports and T-joints to the laterals. This phenomenon has been observed in several industries, most predominantly in the petrochemical industry. This paper recounts the use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to study this important phenomenon. The liquid flowing from the lateral into the main header pipe is multiphase in the dispersed, stratified, slug or annular flow re´gime. Multiphase flows with heat transfer are analyzed using CFD. The temperatures on the walls of the pipe system are then transferred to the FEA and analyzed for heat transfer and thermal stresses. These stresses are compared to ASME standards to see if they are within allowable limits. This paper also recounts efforts to reduce the bending effect by preventing liquid accumulation on the dead leg side. Other methods that provide better supports for bent piping are studied. Further, methods of equilibrating the temperature faster to prevent the bowing of the pipe are also studied. It is hoped that this presentation will benefit people designing piping networks with varying liquid and vapor traffic by providing a safe environment free of cracks and spills.

Study of Dynamic Stresses in Pipe Networks and Pressure Vessels Using Fluid-Solid-Interaction Models

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Diwakar ◽  
Lorraine Lin
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Thermal Stresses ◽  
Traditional Approach ◽  
Fluid Model ◽  
Pressure Vessels ◽  
Piping System ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Flow Induced Vibration ◽  
Element Analysis ◽  
Fluid Solid Interaction

A lack of understanding of the fluid-structure interactions has resulted in a number of infamous structural failures in the past. For example, the collapses of the Tay Bridge in Scotland in 1879, the Tacoma Bridge in 1948 and three tall cooling towers in Ferrybridge/England in 1965 have been intrinsically related to fluid forces acting on the structure. Flutter, flow-induced vibration, divergence and related phenomena may be studied using the Fluid-Solid-Interaction (FSI) approach. This paper gives three examples of the FSI approach and shows the innovative application of state-of-the-art computational methods to improve realism and accuracy in engineering analyses. Case 1: Study of Hydrodynamic Sloshing Loads: The sloshing of liquid in large vessels under seismic loads is a timely topic. The movement of the free surface of the liquid is simulated using a two-phase volume of fluid model at various liquid heights. The transient forces generated by the fluid on the vessel wall and internals are superimposed as loads on a dynamic non-linear calculation and the fatigue and stresses are computed in an explicit finite element analysis. This approach calculates the local sloshing effects on internals as opposed to the traditional approach of using spring-mass elements. Case 2: Bending of Large Pipes due to Temperature Differentials: Pipe temperature differentials can be caused by either extremely cold liquids or hot liquids flowing at the bottom of a piping system while the top is exposed to atmospheric conditions. Differential expansion can cause pipe deformation resulting in pipe lift-off at its supports and failure at the weld locations and T-joints. Heat transfer from complex multi-phase flows was simulated using CFD. The predicted pipe wall temperatures were then input to an FEA grid and analyzed for heat transfer and thermal stresses. These stresses were compared to ASME standard allowable limits. Based on this analytical approach, a design guide for various diameters of flare header pipes, supports and tees has been established. Details of this paper were previously published in [Ref 1] and are not described in this paper. Case 3: Establishing velocity limits and line sizing criteria in pipes: The original guidelines in Fluid Flow Manuals were developed over the last fifty years based on project experience and economic and best practices technology of the time. The criteria have proven out as good, but overly conservative with regards to line size. Compressor discharge guidelines are based on the erosion velocity limits. Based on a dynamic analysis approach — using unsteady flow rates from compressors — stresses due to flow-induced vibration, noise and fatigue, hydraulic transients such as waterhammer effects for long lines (greater than 1000 feet), flashing and control valve cavitations may be studied. FSI was used to determine if the velocity limit guidelines hold in the current designs and use a parametric approach to mitigate the bottlenecking by supplying a simple fix to the problem. Furthermore the approach was used to define the correct velocity limit and establish optimal layout for the piping network.

An Inverse Analysis Method for Estimation of Heat Flux and Temperature-Dependence of Heat Transfer Coefficient

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiro Kubo ◽  
Seiji Ioka
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Surface Temperature ◽  
Inverse Method ◽  
Thermal Stresses ◽  
Temperature History ◽  
Inner Surface ◽  
History Of ◽  
Transient Thermal ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Inverse Analysis Method

Transient thermal stresses develop in pipes during start-up and shut-down. In previous papers the present authors [1–4] proposed an inverse method for determining the optimum thermal inlet liquid temperature history which reduced the maximum transient thermal stress in pipes. The papers considered multiphysics including heat conduction, heat transfer, and elastic deformation. The inverse method used the relationship between inner surface temperature history, transient temperature distribution and transient thermal stresses. The coefficient of heat transfer plays an important role in the evaluation of thermal stress. In this study an inverse method was developed for estimating heat flux and temperature-dependence of the coefficient of heat transfer from the history of the outer surface temperature and the liquid temperature. The method used the relationship between the outer surface temperature and the inner surface temperature. For the regularization of solution the function expansion method was applied in expressing the history of flux on the inner surface. Numerical simulations demonstrated the usefulness of the proposed inverse analysis method. By examining the effect of measurement errors of temperature on the estimation, the robustness of the method was shown.

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