HEAT-LOSS WORKSPACE
Pipe Heat-Loss Interactive Model
Explore insulated pipe heat loss with live physical feedback and reference comparison.
INPUT CONDITIONS
Configure the pipe system
Outdoor industrial scene
Pipe geometry
m
Insulation
Thermal boundary conditions
CALCULATION RESULT
Review calculated heat loss
Thermal response
The core, insulation barrier, surface resistance and escaping heat respond to each input.
r₁ · pipe radiusr₂ · insulation edgeRs · surface / h_effqdesign · heat escaping
Core heatInsulation barrierHeat escapingCold air / wind
DESIGN HEAT LOSS
Physical model calculation
SI calculation basis · linked to the cross-sectionTOTAL HEAT LOSS
TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCE
INSULATION K FACTOR
SURFACE TEMPERATUREouter cladding surface
OUTER FILM COEFFICIENT
TOTAL THERMAL RESISTANCE
Thermal interpretation
Reference comparison
Edit the benchmark when checking a different reference case.
REFERENCE
THIS MODEL
DIFFERENCE
Insulation response
Heat loss by thicknessMaterial curve and calculation basis
Mathematical model
Physical model: Pipe Heat-Loss Physical Model
This tool treats insulation as cylindrical conduction. Its outer surface loses heat to ambient by convection and radiation. Since k varies with mean temperature and surface temperature is unknown, the program solves surface temperature in up to 90 iterations.
r₁ = OD / 2 r₂ = r₁ + t
k = k(Tmean) Tmean = (Tpipe + Tsurface) / 2
Rins = ln(r₂ / r₁) / (2πk)
hconv = 8.30 + 4.08V × (0.1048 / (2r₂))⁰·²²
hrad = εσ(Tsurface,K² + Tambient,K²)(Tsurface,K + Tambient,K)
h_eff = hconv + hrad Rsurface = 1 / (h_eff × 2πr₂)
qraw = ΔT / (Rins + Rsurface)
Tsurface,next = Tambient + qraw × Rsurface
qdesign = qraw × (1 + SF) × Findoor
k = k(Tmean) Tmean = (Tpipe + Tsurface) / 2
Rins = ln(r₂ / r₁) / (2πk)
hconv = 8.30 + 4.08V × (0.1048 / (2r₂))⁰·²²
hrad = εσ(Tsurface,K² + Tambient,K²)(Tsurface,K + Tambient,K)
h_eff = hconv + hrad Rsurface = 1 / (h_eff × 2πr₂)
qraw = ΔT / (Rins + Rsurface)
Tsurface,next = Tambient + qraw × Rsurface
qdesign = qraw × (1 + SF) × Findoor
Current defaults: SF = 5%, Findoor = 0.90 in indoor mode, and ε is user adjustable.
