Investigation of Fiberglass-Reinforced Plastic (FRP) Condensate Return CarrierPiping

摘要

The Army operates approximately 2700 miles of heat distribution system piping, alarge portion of which are used for steam and condensate return piping. The use of fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) carrier piping for the return of hot condensate to the boiler plant was allowed. The failure of this piping results in considerable extra expense. This report presents results of a survey that evaluated the performance of FRP condensate carrier piping on Federal installations, especially the performance of systems that have in-line cooling devices installed according to recent criteria. The survey indicated that most Federal agencies that have used FRP pipe for condensate carrier return are not satisfied with its performance because of its general failure to achieve design performance. This study concluded that, overall, the problems with FRP pipe in condensate return service and associated maintenance to correct them far outweigh the benefits derived from using FRP pipe.