Steam Pipes - Thermal Expansion
Thermal expansion of steam pipes heated from room temperature to operation temperature (mm pr. 100 m pipe).
Expansion of steam pipes when pressurized and heated from room temperature.
| Operating Temperature (oC) | Expansion (mm / 100 m Pipe) |
|---|---|
| 66 | 63 |
| 93 | 96 |
| 121 | 136 |
| 149 | 166 |
| 177 | 203 |
| 204 | 246 |
| 232 | 279 |
| 260 | 323 |
Note! - to avoid unacceptable stress and damage of pipe lines - handle the expansion properly!
Example - Expansion of Steam Pipe
- make 3D models with The Engineering ToolBox Sketchup Extension
A system is designed for pressure 10 bar with operating temperature approximately 180 oC. As indicated in the table above (177 oC) the expansion is is approximately 203 mm100m pipe.
The expansion of a 35 m long pipe can be calculated as
dl = ((203 mm100m) / (100 m)) (35 m)
= 71 mm
