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Pipes and Tubes - Temperature Expansion
Pipes expands when heated and contracts when cooled and the expansion can be expressed with the expansion
formula
The temperature expansion of pipes depends on start and final temperature of the pipe, and the expansion coefficient of the piping material at the
actual temperature. The expansion formula can be expressed as:

dl = α Lo dt (1)

where

dl = expansion (m, inches)

Lo = length of pipe (m, inches)

dt = temperature difference (oC, oF)

α = linear expansion coefficient (m/moK, in/inoF)

Note that the mean expansion coefficient may vary with temperature:

Mean Expansion Coefficient 10-6 (in/in oF, (m/(m C)) )

o
Temperature Range ( F) (deg C)
Material
32 - 212 32 - 400 32 - 600 32 - 750 32 - 900 32 - 1100 32 - 1300
- 32
0 - 100 0 - 204 0 - 316 0 - 399 0 - 482 0 - 593 0 - 704
Alloy Steel 7.7 8.0 8.4 8.8 9.2 9.6 9.8
(1% Cr. 1/2% Mo) 13.9 14.4 15.1 15.8 16.6 17.3 17.6
Mild Steel 7.1 7.8 8.3 8.7 9.0 9.5 9.7
(0.1 - 0.2% C) 12.8 14 14.9 15.7 16.2 17.1 17.5
Stainless Steel 10.8 11.1 11.5 11.8 12.1 12.4 12.6 12.8
(18% Cr. 8% Ni) 19.4 20 20.7 21.2 21.8 22.3 22.7 23

Formula (1) can also be used with SI units. The expansion coefficient must be adjusted to oC.

T(oC) = 5/9[T(oF) - 32]

1 in (inch) = 25.4 mm
1 ft (foot) = 0.3048 m
Expansion coefficients for some common materials

Thermal Expansion - Stress and Force

Example - Thermal Expansion of an Alloy Steel Pipe

An alloy steel pipe with length 100 feet is heated from 32 to 212oF. The expansion coefficient is 8 10-6 (in/inoF).

The expansion of the pipe can be calculated as:

dl = (8 10-6 in/inoF) (100 ft) (12 in/ft) ((212 oF) - (32 oF))

= 1.728 inches

Temperature Expansion of Pipes - Excel Template

Related Topics
Steam and Condensate - Steam & condensate systems- properties, capacities, pipe sizing, systems configuration and more
Temperature Expansion - Thermal expansion of pipes and tubes - stainless steel, carbon steel, copper, plastics and more
Piping Systems - Dimensions of pipes and tubes, materials and capacities, pressure drop calculations and charts, insulation and heat loss
diagrams
Pipe Sizing - Sizing steam and condensate pipes - pressure loss, recommended velocity, capacity and more

Related Documents
Coefficients of Linear Thermal Expansion - Linear temperature expansion coefficients for aluminum, copper, glass, iron and other
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Linear Thermal Expansion - Linear temperature expansion - online calculator
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molybdenum steel, wrought iron, copper, brass and aluminum pipes
Piping Elbows - Thrust Block Forces - Thrust block forces on pipe bends anchor due to liquid velocity and internal pressure - online
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Steam Pipes - Thermal Expansion - Thermal expansion of steam pipes heated from room temperature to operation temperature (mm pr.
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Steel Pipes and Expansion Loop Capacities - Steel pipes - thermal expansion and expansion loop capacities
Steel Pipes and Temperature Expansion - Temperature expansion of carbon steel pipes
Temperature Change and Introduced Stress in Fixed Pipes - Temperature change will cause stress in fixed pipes
Temperature Expansion Coefficients of Piping Materials - Expansion coefficients for common materials used in pipes and tubes -
aluminum, carbon steel, cast iron, PVC, HDPE and more
Thermal Expansion - Stress and Force - Stress and force when thermal expansion is restricted
Thermal Expansion of Steam Pipes - inches - Steam pipes heated from room temperature to operation temperatures - expands
Thermoplastics - Physical Properties - Physical properties of some thermoplastics like ABS, PVC, CPVC, PE, PEX, PB and PVDF
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Tag Search
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es: tubos de expansión térmica de temperatura
de: Rohre thermische Temperaturausdehnung

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