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Piping Thermal Bowing Consideration in Caesar II With An Example

The document discusses piping thermal bowing, which occurs when uneven temperatures across a pipe cause it to bend. It explains how thermal bowing is considered in piping stress analysis using Caesar II software, including specifying a thermal bowing delta temperature and seeing changes in stresses, support loads, and displacements with and without accounting for thermal bowing.

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83 views

Piping Thermal Bowing Consideration in Caesar II With An Example

The document discusses piping thermal bowing, which occurs when uneven temperatures across a pipe cause it to bend. It explains how thermal bowing is considered in piping stress analysis using Caesar II software, including specifying a thermal bowing delta temperature and seeing changes in stresses, support loads, and displacements with and without accounting for thermal bowing.

Uploaded by

amlanfacebook
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Piping Thermal Bowing Consideration in Caesar II

with an example
whatispiping.com/piping-thermal-bowing-consideration-in-caesar-ii

Anup Kumar
Dey

What is Piping Thermal Bowing?


Piping Thermal Bowing or Bowing is an effect that occurs in horizontal
piping run due to large circumferential temperature gradients which have
the potential to cause large unacceptable local thermal stresses in the pipe
walls leading to fatigue failure and high loads at pipe supports and
connected equipment. The pipe may bend like a bow in such a situation and hence
the name bowing effect. Because bowing is very damaging, it is important to avoid the
occurrence rather than to analyze the effect after the occurrence. This article will
provide some guidance on how thermal bowing problems are considered in piping
stress analysis using Caesar II software.

Which lines are prone to piping thermal bowing?


Pipe thermal bowing is a serious problem for

partially filled cryogenic lines like LNG, LPG, etc or


Uninsulated pipes which are exposed to the hot sun
pipes carrying the stratified flow of low-temperature fluid in
horizontal lines
Steam lines in presence of external or internal water (Condensate)
Stagnation of the flow which causes stratification

In such lines, the flow inside the pipe is such that one part of the pipe cross-section is
hot and the other part is cold. For example in a partly filled LNG or LPG line, the upper
part of the pipe cross-section will be in hot condition (so, the pipe will expand in the
upper part) and the lower part will be in cold condition (so the pipe will contract in

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lower part). A similar situation arises, where one side of the pipe is heated by the hot
sun exposure and the other side is in the shade. So this simultaneous expansion and
contraction or uneven temperature distribution will force the pipe to produce pipe
curvature.

Piping thermal bowing problems are normally not addressed in pipe stress analysis or
design books. But the share of operational difficulties due to thermal bowing is very
high. Therefore, it should be properly treated in the design.

What is the thermal bowing temperature?


The diametrical temperature difference across the cross-section is called
the bowing temperature. The bowing temperature occurs mostly in top and bottom
directions and is mainly generated by stratified flow created by rapid quenching of
high-temperature gas engaged in petrochemical production, emergency cooling
injection, cold re-circulation, start-up of a liquefied natural gas transfer line, rapid
deployment of cryogenic liquid fuel, and so forth. It can also be generated by the startup
of a large steam pipe.

For considering piping thermal bowing in Caesar II this thermal bowing delta
temperature is the additional input. Thermal Bowing Delta Temperature Specifies the
diametrical temperature differential between the top and bottom of the pipe. This
differential temperature is used to calculate an elemental load that is added to each
temperature case. This temperature will be received from the Process engineering team.

Piping Thermal Bowing Assumptions for Stress Analysis in


Caesar II
For stress analysis, it is assumed that

the temperature distribution across piping cross-section is linear and


the same thermal gradient or temperature change is applied to the complete pipe
and cannot specify different thermal bowing temperatures for different pipes.

Example Problem for Piping Thermal Bowing Stress Analysis in


Caesar II

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In this example, an 18 inch LPG line is
considered (As shown in Fig. 1). The
analysis parameters are as follows:

Maximum Design Temperature:


82 Deg. C
Minimum Design temperature: -
46 Deg. C
Operating Temperature: -42.4 Fig. 1: LPG Line Caesar II model for
Thermal Bowing Consideration
Deg. C
Thermal Bowing Delta
Temperature: 50 Deg. C
Design Pressure: 2900 Kpa
Hydrotest Pressure: 4440 Kpa
Pipe Material: A333-6
Pipe OD: 457.2 mm
Pipe Thickness: 11.91 mm
Corrosion Allowance: 3 mm
Fluid Density: 600 Kg/m 3
Cold Insulation Thickness: 80 mm
Insulation density: 40 kg/m3

The pipe to be modeled in normal method what we do for other piping analysis.
Additional input is thermal bowing delta temperature that has to be entered inside the
special execution parameter as shown in the image (Fig. 2) below:

Next prepare all the required load cases


for Analysis. Thermal bowing stress will
automatically be considered for all
thermal load cases. The following
image (Fig. 3) shows the stress
difference with thermal bowing and
without thermal bowing effects.

So it is clear from the above output


results that there are changes in
stresses. The same is true for support
loads and thermal displacements.

Fig. 2: Thermal Bowing Delta Temperature


in Caesar II

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Some more Resources for You…

Fig. 3: Output Result with and without


Thermal Bowing

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Thermal Bowing Methodology Using Start-Prof
Stress Analysis using Start-Prof
Stress Analysis using Caesar II
Stress Analysis Basic Concepts
Piping Layout and Design

References and Further Studies


Pipe Stress Engineering by L. C. Peng
https://www.hydrocarbonprocessing.com/magazine/2016/december-
2016/process-engineering-and-optimization/causes-and-mitigation-of-thermal-
bowing-in-process-piping-design

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