DESIGN OF A STEAM PIPELINE

ME 4429 Thermofluid Applications and Design

Submitted by:
Jeffrey Brathwaite
Matthew Lepine

Submitted to:
Prof. Seluk Geri
Milad Farzad

February 13, 2017

Table of Contents
PROBLEM STATEMENT....................................................................3
ASSUMPTIONS...............................................................................4
PHYSICS........................................................................................5
INITIAL SETUP................................................................................................... 5
HEAT LOSS CALCULATIONS.................................................................................. 6
HEAT REQUIREMENTS....................................................................................... 10
COST ANALYSIS............................................................................................... 10
PRESSURE LOSS & PUMP REQUIREMENTS.............................................................11
CONCLUSION...............................................................................12
APPENDIX A: INITIAL SETUP VALUES.............................................13
GIVEN VARIABLES............................................................................................ 13
PROPERTIES OF SUPERHEATED STEAM.................................................................13
PIPE PROPERTIES............................................................................................. 14
WEATHER & TEMPERATURE INFORMATION FOR BOSTON, MA...................................14
INSULATION PROPERTIES................................................................................... 14
APPENDIX B: HEAT LOSS CALCULATIONS & VALUES........................15
INTERNAL FLOW IN THE PIPE.............................................................................. 15
EXTERNAL FLOW OVER THE PIPE (INSULATED).......................................................15
EXTERNAL FLOW OVER THE PIPE (NAKED)............................................................15
NATURAL CONVECTION CALCULATIONS (INSULATED)...............................................16
NATURAL CONVECTION CALCULATIONS (NAKED)....................................................16
OVERALL HEAT TRANSFER COEFFICIENT (INSULATED).............................................17
OVERALL HEAT TRANSFER COEFFICIENT (NAKED)..................................................17
RADIATION & SURFACE TEMPERATURE.................................................................18
HEAT LOSS CALCULATIONS (INSULATED)..............................................................18
HEAT LOSS CALCULATIONS (NAKED)...................................................................19
APPENDIX C: HEAT REQUIREMENTS & COST ANALYSIS....................20
HEAT REQUIREMENTS (INSULATED).....................................................................20
FUEL REQUIREMENTS....................................................................................... 20
COSTS & BREAKEVEN POINT.............................................................................20
NAKED VS. INSULATED PIPE...............................................................................20
APPENDIX D: PRESSURE LOSS & PUMP REQUIREMENTS..................21
PRESSURE LOSS CALCULATIONS.........................................................................21
PUMP POWER CALCULATIONS.............................................................................21

2
Problem Statement
The task is to design a steam pipeline, which takes steam from a
cogeneration plant and transports it 5 km away, arriving at the
destination with at least 10 atm of pressure, a temperature of at least
20C superheat, and a flow rate of 100 kg/min. The objectives are to
determine the size of the pipe, the pressure loss and incremental feed-
pump power needed to supply the steam, the type and amount of
insulation, the heat loss over the length of the pipe, the inlet
conditions, the heat input needed in terms of fuel, and the costs
associated with the design, calculating the payback time for the pipe.

3
Assumptions
There were many assumptions made throughout the design
process. When explaining the steps taken, some of these assumptions
will be restated. This is the full list of these assumptions.
Location of the pipeline is Boston, MA
For the outlet pressure of 10 atm (1.01325 MPa), we used steam
values at 1.0 MPa
For the inlet pressure of 1.12 MPa, we used steam values at 1.1
MPa
We used the average temperature of the steam for the heat loss
calculations
Pipe has a grade of DIN 2448, a size of DN 200, and a material
of steel (St 37.2)
Assume worst case scenario for climate calculations (coldest
winter day & hottest summer day)
Ignore precipitation
No wind in summer conditions
No elevation change
Pipe is straight (no bends or other minor head losses)
No ice buildup
No fouling on the outside of the pipe
Insulation is made of fiberglass
Pipe has a thin layer of aluminum on the outside of the
insulation
Aluminum layer has an emissivity similar to that of a highly
polished aluminum sheet
Ignore aluminum layer in conductive heat loss calculations, as it
is considered a thin-walled, highly-conductive material
Surface temperatures are estimated (not calculated)
Ignore solar radiation
For comparisons sake, assume same emissivity for naked pipe
Heat supplied should be equal to or greater than the worst-case
heat loss
Insulation costs $45 per m3
Estimate the value of the net heating value of natural gas to be
50,000,000 J/kg
Price charged for steam is $180,000 per year

4
 Assume pump is a hydraulic pump with a pump efficiency of
70%

5
Physics
This section contains all of the calculations for the project, with
an explanation of the design process. The values can be found in the
appendices, at the end of the report.

Initial Setup
The first step we needed to do was to determine the properties
of the steam at various temperatures. We used 1.0 MPa for the
properties of steam at the minimum outlet pressure. We also assumed
(then adjusted after some iterations) the inlet temperature and the
average temperature in the pipe, and got the steam properties for
those temperatures and pressures.
Next, we decided on a size for the pipe. We decided to use a
pipe grade of DIN 2448 and a pipe size of DN200 (200 mm inside
diameter), since the pressure loss was not too large, and the pipe
would not lose heat too quickly. After choosing the pipe size, we
defined the pipe thickness. We also determined the material to be
steel (St 37.2).
After that, we determined the climate information for Boston,
MA, where the pipe is located. We decided that we wanted the
pipeline to be able to run properly, regardless of how cold the weather
got, so we decided to use the record low temperature and the record
high wind speed. Next, we gathered data on the hottest possible day,
with a record high temperature and no wind. Finally, we collected the
average yearly temperature and the average yearly wind speed.
Finally, we decided on the insulation for the pipe. It seemed that
fiberglass was the most common insulation material used, and since it
could operate within our temperature boundaries, we decided to use
it as our insulation material. At first, we estimated a thickness, then

6
after several iterations, we calculated the thickness necessary for the
operation.

7
Heat Loss Calculations
To start the heat loss calculations, we first found the conditions
of the internal pipe flow. These values were evaluated at the average
steam temperature. The equations can be found below.

Average Velocity of the Steam:

mv

V=
Di
V = Average Velocity of the Steam
m
= Mass Flow Rate
v = Specific Volume of Steam
Di = Inside Pipe Diameter

Reynolds Number:
VD i
=

= Density of Steam
= Viscosity of Steam

Nusselt Number:
4
Nu=0.023 Pr 0.3
5

Pr = Prandtl Number of Air

Heat Transfer Coefficient:

Nuk
h=
Di
h = Heat Transfer Coefficient
k = Thermal Conductivity of Air

8
 Next, we calculated values for the external flow over the
insulated pipe for the winter and average conditions. These equations
can be found below.

Reynolds Number:
V Do
=

V = Wind Velocity
Do = Outside Diameter of the Pipe
= Kinematic Viscosity of Air

Nusselt Number:
1
0.805 3
Nu=0.027 Pr

Heat Transfer Coefficient:

Nuk
h=
Do

Next came the calculations for natural convection. The surface

temperature values for these calculations and for the radiation
calculations are estimated values. The equations used can be found
below.

Grashof Number:
g( T s T )Do3
Gr=
2
g = Force of Gravity
= Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (= 1/T for Ideal Gas)
Ts = Surface Temperature of the Insulated Pipe
T = Temperature of the Surrounding Air

9
 Rayleigh Number:
Ra=GrPr

Nusselt Number:
0.333
Nu=0.125Ra

Heat Transfer Coefficient:

Nuk
hnat =
Do

Next, we calculated the overall heat transfer coefficient, taking

into account conduction, forced & natural convection, and fouling.
These were calculated for the winter, summer, and average
conditions. Note that for the summer condition, the external
convection term was eliminated. The equation can be found below.

Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient:

D1 D
ln 2
ln
1 1 R D0 D1 1 1
= + f ,i + + + +
UA hi Ai Ai 2 k 1L 2 k 2L h o A o hnat Ao
1
= Internal Forced Convection
hi A i
Rf ,i
= Internal Fouling
Ai
D1
ln
D0 = Conduction Through the Pipe
2 k 1L
D2
ln
D1 = Conduction Through the Insulation
2 k 2L
1
= External Forced Convection
ho A o

10
 1
= Natural Convection
hnat A o

11
 Once we calculated the overall heat transfer coefficients, we
could calculate the heat loss due to conduction and convection. The
equations can be found below.

Heat Loss Due to Conduction and Convection:

Q=UA ( T iT o )

Q = Heat Loss
Ti = Inside Temperature
To = Outside Temperature

After this, we calculated the values for heat loss due to radiation
for each of the three conditions. For the emissivity of the insulation,
we assumed it had a thin aluminum covering on the outside, and
therefore had the emissivity of a highly polished plate of aluminum.
We decided to ignore solar radiation.

Heat Loss Due to Radiation:

Q= A o ( T s4 T 4 )
= Emissivity of the Pipe
= Stefan-Boltzmann Constant
Ao = Outside Surface Area of the Pipe

Finally, we found the total heat loss. We added the heat loss due
to conduction & convection and the heat loss due to radiation to get
this total heat loss value.
We then calculated all of the values described in this section for
the case of an uninsulated pipe, to compare the cost savings.

12
Heat Requirements
Since the heat loss had been calculated, we could calculate the
insulation thickness and input temperature required to ensure that
the heat supplied could counteract the heat loss over the length of the
pipeline. Using the formula below, we determined the required heat to
counteract the maximum heat loss scenario. Because we framed it in
such a way, the steam at the outlet will always be equal to or greater
than the required 20C superheat.

Heat Supplied:
m
Q= ( hihe )
hi = Enthalpy of the Inlet Steam
he = Enthalpy of the Outlet Steam

Cost Analysis
We decided that we wanted to use natural gas to run the boiler
for the pipeline. We determined the combustion energy and the heat
required for a one-year operation of the pipeline. From that, we
calculated the amount of natural gas we would need. Then, after
determining the cost per million Btu (which we converted into cost
per million Joules), we found the cost of operating the boiler for a
year.
Once that operation was complete, we figured out an
approximate value for the insulation in which we would need to
encase the pipeline. From that, we calculated the one-time cost of
insulation for the pipe.
With the costs understood, we determined a fair price to charge
the customer getting the steam ($180,000 per year, compared to the
$162,000 per year it takes to run the pipeline). From that price point,

13
we determined that it would only take 3.55 years to break even on our
investment.
Then, we decided to calculate what the costs would be if we
compared the insulated pipe to an uninsulated (naked) pipe. We
compared the worst-case scenarios (the winter conditions), and found
that the naked pipe is 62 times as expensive as the insulated pipe!

14
Pressure Loss & Pump Requirements
Finding the pressure loss over the length of the pipe is relatively
simple. The equation is shown below. We had to make up for this
pressure drop by increasing the inlet pressure to 1.12 MPa, so the
final pressure could be equal to or greater than the minimum limit of
1 atm (1.01325 MPa).

Pump Pressure Drop:

f L
V 2
Di
P=
2
f = Friction Factor ( 0.1840.2 )
L = Length of Pipe
Di = Inside Diameter of Pipe
= Density of Steam
V = Average Velocity of Steam

The pump power depends on several factors, including the flow

capacity and the differential head. The equation for calculating the
differential head and the equation for calculating the hydraulic power
required are listed below.

Differential Head:
fL
V 2
Di
hd =
2g

Hydraulic Power:
Ph=qghd
q = Flow Capacity

15
Conclusion
The design of a steam pipeline has many complex intricacies,
especially when it comes to heat transfer. We decided on a 0.200m
pipe, with 0.210m of fiberglass insulation. After calculating heat loss
for worst-case scenarios for our Boston, MA location, we found that an
inlet temperature of 300C and a pressure of 1.12 MPa would meet
the customers minimum requirements of 20C superheat and 1 atm
of pressure. The pressure drop over the 5km length of the pipe was
just over 0.1 MPa. We determined that we need approximately
232,000 kg of natural gas to power the pipeline for a year, costing
over $162,000 per year. With our revenue of $180,000 per year, we
break even in about 3.5 years. We also found that if the pipe were
uninsulated, it would cost about 62 times the amount of our insulated
pipe. Finally, the pump for the pipeline would need 26 kW of power to
pump the steam at the mass flow rate we desire, accounting for a 70%
pump efficiency.

16
Appendix A: Initial Setup Values

Given Variables
Length of Pipeline 5000 m
Minimum Outlet Pressure 10 (1.01325) atm (MPa)
Minimum Outlet Temperature 200 C
Flow Rate 100 kg/min

Properties of Superheated Steam

We assumed a fouling factor of 0.0001 for steam.
Evaluated at 1.0 MPa and 200C:
Specific Volume 0.20602 m3/kg
Density 4.8539 kg/m3
Enthalpy 2828300 J/kg
Entropy 6695.5 J/kg-K
Internal Energy 2620000 J/kg
Viscosity 15.9 Pa-s
Thermal Conductivity 0.0372 W/m-K
Prandtl Number 1.04

Evaluated at 1.05 MPa and 250C:

Specific Volume 0.22175 m3/kg
Density 4.5208 kg/m3
Enthalpy 2941540 J/kg
Entropy 6901.8 J/kg-K
Internal Energy 2710000 J/kg
Viscosity 18.0 Pa-s
Thermal Conductivity 0.0407 W/m-K
Prandtl Number 0.987

Evaluated at 1.1 MPa and 300C:

Specific Volume 0.23392 m3/kg
Density 4.2750 kg/m3
Enthalpy 3049000 J/kg
Entropy 7124.6 J/kg-K
Internal Energy 2790000 J/kg
Viscosity 20.2 Pa-s
Thermal Conductivity 0.0451 W/m-K

17
 Prandtl Number 0.965

Pipe Properties
We used a pipe grade of DIN 2448, a pipe size of DN200, and a
material of steel (St 37.2).
Inside Diameter 0.200 m
Outside Diameter 0.2191 m
Thickness 0.00955 m
Inside Surface Area 3141.59 m2
Outside Surface Area 3441.61 m2
Thermal Conductivity 25 W/m-K

Weather & Temperature Information for Boston, MA

The location of the pipe is Boston, MA. The winter condition is
evaluated at -30C, the summer condition is evaluated at 40C, and
the average condition is evaluated at 10.8C.
Coldest Outside Temperature -30 C
Worst Winter Wind Speed 14 m/s
Winter Thermal Conductivity of Air 0.02196 W/m-K
Winter Kinematic Viscosity of Air 0.00001105 m2/s
Winter Prandtl Number of Air 0.721
Hottest Outside Temperature 40 C
Summer Thermal Conductivity of Air 0.0271 W/m-K
Summer Kinematic Viscosity of Air 0.00001697 m2/s
Summer Prandtl Number of Air 0.711
Average Yearly Temperature 10.8 C
Average Yearly Wind Speed 5.2 m/s
Average Thermal Conductivity of Air 0.025056 W/m-K
0.000014277
Average Kinematic Viscosity of Air m2/s
4
Average Prandtl Number of Air 0.71392

Insulation Properties
The insulation material is fiberglass.
Thermal Conductivity 0.04 W/m-K
Thickness 0.210 m
Outside Diameter 0.62 m
Outside Surface Area 9724.80 m2

18
Appendix B: Heat Loss Calculations & Values

Internal Flow in the Pipe

Evaluated at 1.05MPa and 250C:
Average Velocity 11.76 m/s
Reynolds Number 590922.45
Nusselt Number 948.96
Heat Transfer Coefficient 193.11 W/m2-K

External Flow over the Pipe (Insulated)

Evaluated for winter conditions:
Reynolds Number 809719.46
Nusselt Number 1381.08
Heat Transfer Coefficient 47.45 W/m2-K

Evaluated for average conditions:

Reynolds Number 232767.87
Nusselt Number 504.61
Heat Transfer Coefficient 19.78 W/m2-K

External Flow over the Pipe (Naked)

Evaluated for winter conditions:
Reynolds Number 277592.76
Nusselt Number 583.38
Heat Transfer Coefficient 58.47 W/m2-K

Evaluated for average conditions:

Reynolds Number 79798.84
Nusselt Number 213.15
Heat Transfer Coefficient 24.38 W/m2-K

19
Natural Convection Calculations (Insulated)
We took the gravitational acceleration to be 9.81 m/s2. The following
was evaluated for winter conditions:
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion 0.0041127 1/K
Grashof Number 2587604423
Rayleigh Number 1865662789
Nusselt Number 152.79
Heat Transfer Coefficient 5.25 W/m2-K

Evaluated for summer conditions:

Coefficient of Thermal Expansion 0.0031934 1/K
Grashof Number 283961433
Rayleigh Number 201896579
Nusselt Number 72.86
Heat Transfer Coefficient 3.09 W/m2-K

Evaluated for average conditions:

Coefficient of Thermal Expansion 0.0035217 1/K
Grashof Number 628237241
Rayleigh Number 448511131
Nusselt Number 95.05
Heat Transfer Coefficient 3.73 W/m2-K

Natural Convection Calculations (Naked)

Evaluated for winter conditions:
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion 0.0041127 1/K
Grashof Number 104260203
Rayleigh Number 75171606
Nusselt Number 52.44
Heat Transfer Coefficient 5.26 W/m2-K

Evaluated for summer conditions:

Coefficient of Thermal Expansion 0.0031934 1/K
Grashof Number 11441423
Rayleigh Number 8134852
Nusselt Number 25.01
Heat Transfer Coefficient 3.09 W/m2-K

20
21
Evaluated for average conditions:
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion 0.0035217 1/K
Grashof Number 25313043
Rayleigh Number 18071488
Nusselt Number 32.62
Heat Transfer Coefficient 3.73 W/m2-K

Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient (Insulated)

Evaluated for winter conditions:
Internal Convection 0.0000016483 K/W
Fouling in Pipe 0.0000000318 K/W
Conduction Through Pipe 0.0000001161 K/W
Conduction Through Insulation 0.0008519028 K/W
External Convection 0.0000020991 K/W
Natural Convection 0.0000018763 K/W
U*A 1143.16 W/K

Evaluated for summer conditions:

Internal Convection 0.0000016483 K/W
Fouling in Pipe 0.0000000318 K/W
Conduction Through Pipe 0.0000001161 K/W
Conduction Through Insulation 0.0008519028 K/W
Natural Convection 0.0000322398 K/W
U*A 1128.75 W/K

Evaluated for average conditions:

Internal Convection 0.0000016483 K/W
Fouling in Pipe 0.0000000318 K/W
Conduction Through Pipe 0.0000001161 K/W
Conduction Through Insulation 0.0008519028 K/W
External Convection 0.0000050352 K/W
Natural Convection 0.0000267312 K/W
U*A 1129.35 W/K

Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient (Naked)

Evaluated for winter conditions:
Internal Convection 0.0000016483 K/W
Fouling in Pipe 0.0000000318 K/W
Conduction Through Pipe 0.0000001161 K/W
External Convection 0.0000049693 K/W

22
 Natural Convection 0.0000055412 K/W
U*A 81256.23 W/K

Evaluated for summer conditions:

Internal Convection 0.0000016483 K/W
Fouling in Pipe 0.0000000318 K/W
Conduction Through Pipe 0.0000001161 K/W
Natural Convection 0.0000939408 K/W
U*A 10445.27 W/K

Evaluated for average conditions:

Internal Convection 0.0000016483 K/W
Fouling in Pipe 0.0000000318 K/W
Conduction Through Pipe 0.0000001161 K/W
External Convection 0.0000119201 K/W
Natural Convection 0.0000778896 K/W
U*A 10916.32 W/K

Radiation & Surface Temperature

Emissivity 0.04
Stefan-Boltzmann Constant 0.000000056703 W/m2-K4
Winter Surface Temperature 0 C
Summer Surface Temperature 50 C
Average Surface Temperature 25 C

Heat Loss Calculations (Insulated)

Evaluated for winter conditions:
Conduction & Convection 320083.47 W
Radiation 47164.60 W
Total Heat Loss 367248.07 W

Evaluated for summer conditions:

Conduction & Convection 237036.65 W
Radiation 29337.14 W
Total Heat Loss 266373.79 W

Evaluated for average conditions:

Conduction & Convection 270140.41 W

23
 Radiation 31905.40 W
Total Heat Loss 302045.81 W

Heat Loss Calculations (Naked)

Evaluated for winter conditions:
Conduction & Convection 22751744.91 W
Radiation 16169.25 W
Total Heat Loss 22767914.16 W

Evaluated for summer conditions:

Conduction & Convection 2193506.98 W
Radiation 10057.53 W
Total Heat Loss 2203564.51 W

Evaluated for average conditions:

Conduction & Convection 2611183.11 W
Radiation 10938.00 W
Total Heat Loss 2622121.11 W

24
Appendix C: Heat Requirements & Cost
Analysis

Heat Requirements (Insulated)

Inlet Enthalpy 3049000 J/kg
Outlet Enthalpy 2828300 J/kg
Heat Supplied 367833.33 W
Winter Heat Loss 367248.07 W
Net Winter Heat Loss -585.26 W
Summer Heat Loss 266373.79 W
Net Summer Heat Loss -101459.55 W
Average Heat Loss 302045.81 W
Net Average Heat Loss -65787.52 W

Fuel Requirements
The fuel being used for the heating is natural gas.
Net Heating Value of Fuel 50000000 J/kg
Heat Required in a Year 11599992000000 J
Amount of Fuel Required 231999.84 kg
Cost per Million Btu $14.74 per million Btu
Cost per Million Joules $0.01 per million J
Cost per Year $162,060.81 per year

Costs & Breakeven Point

Cost of Insulation $45.00 per m3
Volume of Insulation Needed 1415.46 m3
Total Insulation Cost $63,695.71
What I Charge per Year $180,000.00 per year
What I Make per Year $17,939.19 per year
Years to Break Even 3.55 years

Naked vs. Insulated Pipe

Maximum Insulated Heat Loss 367248.07 W
Maximum Naked Heat Loss 22767914.16 W

25
Insulated Heat Required in a Year 11581535163207 J
Naked Heat Required in a Year 718008940917004 J
Insulated Cost per Year $161,802.96 per year
Naked Cost per Year $10,031,137.37 per year

26
Appendix D: Pressure Loss & Pump
Requirements

Pressure Loss Calculations

Coefficient of Friction 0.0129
Pressure Loss in Pipe 0.1006 MPa

Pump Power Calculations

Flow Capacity 0.3696 m3/s
Differential Head 2274.76 m
Pump Efficiency 0.7
Hydraulic Power 26095.62 W

27