Numerical Model of the Double-Pipe System with Protective Layer

Nowadays, higher performance is being sought in newly built power plants. The efficiency of power plants is mainly achieved by maximizing the steam parameters. Consequently, ever more expensive high-alloy steels are being used. For this reason, design concepts, in which high efficiency with lower investment costs are becoming increasingly popular. Such an innovation is the double-pipe system with a protective coating, which provides thermal insulation for the primary pipe in which the supercritical steam flows. This pipe is also cooled by an external flow by the steam with lower parameters. The article presents the developed two-dimensional numerical model. The use of the Galerkin method enables the complete transient analysis of a double-pipe system to be carried out, considering temperature-dependent material properties. The numerical model was compared with the computational fluid dynamics model. The temperature gradient in the inner pipe wall with and without coating was determined. In addition, the response of the wall temperature to a change in steam temperature was investigated. As observed, the protective layer can improve boiler performance characteristics when applied to thick-walled boiler components. It can also enable the use of less demanding steel.