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Pipe Insulation Economies
Abstract
Pipe Insulation Economies is a computer program
written in IBM basic to simplify the economic
insulation thickness for an insulated pipe. Many
articles have been written on this subject, from
simple nomographs to a small book written in 1976
by the Federal Energy Administration, called "Economic
Thickness for Industrial Insulation (ETI)."
This paper is meant to fall somewhere between
these extremes without sacrificing the accuracy
necessary for economic considerations.
Within this text, insulation is dealt with not
as a material but as a method to slow heat transfer.
To simplify the various mechanisms by which
heat is transferred, the variable "thermal conductivity" is used. This is modeled for average
insulation temperature. Another variable which
has caused problems in the past is the ambient air
film coefficient, or surface resistance. This
program deals with this coefficient by making an
initial assumption, then using an iterative process
to refine the actual values before making the
economic calculations. The program will use the
input data to determine first of all the heat loss
in BTU per hr/ft. of pipe. Using this result the
lowest annual cost, therefore the most economical
insulation thickness, is determined.
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Citation
Schilling, R. E. (1986). Pipe Insulation Economies. Energy Systems Laboratory (http://esl.tamu.edu). Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /93064.