This study is to prove that two-dimensional steady state heat transfer problems of composite circular pipes cannot be appropriately solved by the conventional one-dimensional parallel thermal resistance circuits (PTRC) model because its interface temperatures are not unique. Thus, the PTRC model is definitely different from its conventional recognized analogy, parallel electrical resistance circuits (PERC) model, which has unique node electric voltages. Two typical composite circular pipe examples are solved by CFD software, and the numerical results are compared with those obtained by the PTRC model. This shows that the PTRC model generates large error. Thus, this conventional model, introduced in most heat transfer text books, cannot be applied to two-dimensional composite circular pipes. Oil the contrary, an alternative one-dimensional separately series thermal resistance circuit (SSTRC) model is proposed and applied to a two-dimensional composite circular pipe with isothermal boundaries, and acceptable results are returned. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.