Pipe stress and deflection app

J. Chaurette Feb. 2015

This app helps piping designers plan their piping runs and avoid excessive stress at an
anchor due to thermal expansion.

The app assumes that there is a horizontal section of the pipe run that is anchored at
one end and expands due to a change in temperature. The horizontal section is
followed by a 90 degree bend going upwards where the top of this vertical section is
anchored.

The task is to determine the length of the vertical section such that the force due to
thermal expansion of the horizontal section acting on the vertical portion of pipe does
not create a stress level at the top anchor higher than a permissible level (16000 psi for
steel for example).

The calculation requires the thermal coefficient of expansion (c.e.) for steel. This
coefficient varies for different types of steel, the value used as a default is 7.2 e-6
in/in/F.

The formulas for beam deflection and stress at the anchor B are required to determine
the length of the vertical section. The formulas are applicable to any type of beam of
any section which in this case is annular.
The deflection of the vertical section is known and depends on the thermal expansion.
The length X can be calculated using the beam stress and deflection formulas.

S (psi): allowable stress in the pipe at the anchor (16000 psi for example);
W (lbf): resulting force on the vertical section due to thermal expansion of the horizontal
section;
Z (in3): section modulus of the cross-section;
I (in4): moment of inertia of the cross-section;
D (in): outside diameter of the pipe;
d (in): inside diameter of the pipe;
E (psi): Young’s modulus (for steel 26 e7);
X (in): length of the vertical section;
Lo (in): length of the horizontal section;
c.e. (in/in/F): coefficient of thermal expansion (for steel 7.2 e-6, values may differ);
FX (lbf): force on the pipe at anchor B;
MX (lbf): moment on the pipe at anchor B;