Copper Tubes Heat Capacity

Overview

Copper tubes are often used in hot water heating systems, especially to connect heating elements like radiators, fan units and similar to the main pipe lines. The table below can be used to estimate hot water heat carrying capacity in copper tubes type L.

Note: The table is designed for temperature drop 20°F (11°C) in radiators and heating elements. For other temperature drops, multiply the capacities accordingly. For temperature drop 10°F (5.5°C), multiply by 0.5.

Data Table

Key Formulas

Continuity

$A_1 v_1 = A_2 v_2$

Mass conservation in pipe flow.

Pressure Drop

$\Delta P = f \frac{L}{D} \frac{\rho v^2}{2}$

Darcy-Weisbach equation.

Pipe Area

$A = \frac{\pi D^2}{4}$

Cross-sectional area of a pipe.

Variables

Symbol	Description	Unit
$D$	Pipe diameter	m
$v$	Flow velocity	m/s
$\Delta P$	Pressure drop	Pa
$f$	Friction factor	—

References

• Original Source