Optimization of Geometric Parameters of Thermal Insulation of Pre-Insulated Double Pipes

• Published in: Energies (Basel) Vol. 12; no. 6; p. 1012
• Main Authors: Krawczyk, Dorota, Teleszewski, Tomasz
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 15-03-2019
• Subjects: Air pollution; Boundary conditions; Boundary element method; Cogeneration; Demand side management; Dependence; Differential equations; District heating; double heating ducts; Ducts; Ecological effects; Ecological monitoring; Emissions; Energy; energy savings; Environmental impact; Fluctuations; Flux density; Grid method; Guidebooks; Heat; Heat flow; Heat flux; Heat loss; Heat transfer; Heat transmission; Heating; Insulation; network; Nitrogen oxides; Optimization; Oxides; Photochemicals; Pipes; Pollutants; pollutants emission; Pollution control; Power plants; Sulfur; Sulfur oxides; Temperature gradients; Thermal insulation; twin pipes
• ISSN: 1996-1073; 1996-1073
• DOI: 10.3390/en12061012

This paper presents the analysis of the heat conduction of pre-insulated double ducts and the optimization of the shape of thermal insulation by applying an elliptical shape. The shape of the cross-section of the thermal insulation is significantly affected by the thermal efficiency of double pre-insulated networks. The thickness of the insulation from the external side of the supply and return pipes affects the heat losses of the double pre-insulated pipes, while the distance between the supply and return pipes influences the heat flux exchanged between these ducts. An assumed elliptical shape with a ratio of the major axis to the minor half axis of an ellipse equaling 1.93 was compared to thermal circular insulation with the same cross-sectional area. All calculations were made using the boundary element method (BEM) using a proprietary computer program written in Fortran as part of the VIPSKILLS project.