PIPING ENGINEERING

Piping Systems – Pumps, Compressor, Heat

Exchanges, Horizontal/ Vertical Vessel, Distillation
Column
Pumps
• The design of equipment and piping configuration affect the energy
used and capital cost of pumps. Hence economy of piping and
structures along with ease of operation and maintenance are the
principal aim while arranging the pumps. Pumps are placed close to
process vessels. Number of pumps should be lined up and
aesthetically well arranged. Pumps are arranged under the pipe rack
in a refinery or an outdoor process plant, keeping motor end towards
the access space and suction/discharge faces towards the process
vessels .
• In cases where pumps are located in a building or other areas where
overhead access is limited, monorails or rigging beams should be
considered for removal of the pump and/or motor.
• For safety and operators convenience, pumps for tanks containing
inflammable/ corrosive liquid should be located outside the dykes
• Pump suction piping shall be arranged such that the flow
is as smooth and uniform as practicable at the pump
suction nozzle. To accomplish this, the use of tees, valves,
strainers and short radius elbows shall be avoided near
the suction nozzle. Suction piping shall be designed
without high points to prevent collection of vapours.
Suction piping shall not be pocketed. When pump
flanges are flat faced, mating flanges must also be flat
faced and the joint made up using full-faced gaskets.

• The eccentric reducers are placed close to the suction nozzle generally FSU unless specified.
• The suction line is generally one or two sizes larger than the pump suction nozzle for centrifugal pumps. NPSH
requirement has to be checked while locating the pumps and routing the suction lines.
• The horizontal runs should be kept minimum in all suction piping.
• The check valves are placed on the discharge piping to arrest the back flow and the reverse run of the
impeller due to it. If the check valve is piston lift type, the piping should be arranged horizontally and if it is
swing type it can be placed vertically
Pump Suction and Discharge Isometric Arrangment

Note
• Use Gate valve instead of Block
valve when using on grade.
• Check valve should be swing
check/ lift check valve
Compressor
Layout and piping considerations for the centrifugal
compressors do not differ in concepts from arrangement
of centrifugal pumps. However pipe sizes are much larger
because of the large volume handled. Concrete columns
and tabletop arrangements are provided with
surrounding access platform.
Compressor foundations are kept independent of building
foundations. A hand operated travelling crane located at
compressor centre line is to be provided overhead. Lay
down space also has to be planned for.

Long radius elbows should be used immediately before the

compressor suction. A straight length of 5D at the suction is
normally provided. For air compressors, strainer has to be
provided at the open air inlet.
 Heat Exchanger
• Exchangers should be located adjacent to the related
equipment, e.g. Reboilers should be located attached/
next to their respective towers, condensers should be
located next to reflux drums close to tower.
• Exchangers should be close to the other process
equipment to have short pump suction lines. Overhead
condenser shall be placed above the reactor to have
minimum horizontal piping.
• Stack those exchanger, which can be grouped together to
simplify piping and save plot space.

• Leave space and access around the exchanger flanges and heads, and tube bundle cleaning / pulling space in
front and in line with the shell.
• The pipe lines with valves and control valves should run along with access aisle close to the exchanger.
• Valve handles should be made accessible from access way. This access way should be used for arranging
manifolds, control valves stations and instruments.
• To avoid condensate drainage towards exchanger, the preferred connection for steam lines is to the top of the
header. However, there is nothing wrong in having a steam connection from the bottom of the header if steam
traps are placed at the low point.
 Simplifying the ways to improve the piping design
• The designer should avoid loops, pockets and crossovers, and he should
investigate, nozzle to nozzle, the whole length of piping routed from the
exchanger to some other equipment, aiming to provide not more than
one high point and one low point, no matter how long the line.
• Very often a flat turn in the yard, an alternative position for control valves
or manifold, changed nozzle location on the exchanger, etc. , can
accomplish this requirement.
• Avoid excessive piping strains on exchanger nozzles from actual weight
of pipe and fittings and from forces of thermal expansion.
• Orifice flanges in exchanger piping are usually in horizontal pipe runs.
These lines should be just above headroom, and the orifice itself
accessible with mobile ladder. Lines with orifice flanges should have the
necessary straight runs before and after the orifice flanges required in
specification or standards.
• Locally mounted pressure - and temperature indicators on exchanger
nozzles, on the shell or process lines, should be visible from the access
aisles. Similarly gauge glasses and level controllers on exchangers should
be visible and associated valves accessible from this aisles.
• When arranging instrument connections on exchangers sufficient
clearances should be left between flanges and exchanger support
between instruments and adjacent piping. Insulation of piping and
exchangers should also be taken into account.
Process & Storage Vessels
The basic set of information required for the equipment and piping arrangement for the process and storage vessel
does not differ from those of other equipment. The process vessels can be classified, based on their function, as follows
1. (a) Surge volume to hold liquid for a specific length of time
(b) Liquid-Vapour separation, or separation of immiscible liquids with different specific gravities.
e.g. reflux drums, surge drums, process liquid collection drums for additives, decanters, steam condensate collection
drums, caustics and acids holding drums etc. these could be horizontal or vertical.
2. Drums are with internals, often agitators, for mixing operations. These can be simple reactors with agitators of
required type or with cooling/heating coils or jacket. The material of construction can vary from carbon steel, stainless
steel and glass lined. These reactors are normally vertical. These vessels are located in a process flow sequence. The
area required around a reactor is much more compared to other process vessels.
The manual loading of these, if required, also shall be facilitated. Hence these reactors will be located passing through
the operating floors with the manholes located at accessible levels.
3. Storage vessels and tanks can be in two categories :-
Intermediate storage, generally located adjacent to process units or buildings and Feed chemical or product tanks
remotely located, the area being identified as tank farm with its dyke and acid/fire proofing requirements.
Economy of piping and access to
valves and instruments are according to
general piping design practice. The
nozzle and support orientation can be
evaluated as shown in diagram.
Inlet/Outlet Nozzle - Vapour / liquid
inlet is placed on top at one end.
Bottom inlet is also possible but with a
standpipe. Outlet is placed at the
bottom on the other end. In some
cases, the inlet and outlet are centrally
located. The vapour outlet in this case
shall be diametrically opposite to liquid
inlet.

Vents and Drains - Vent nozzle are located at the top and drain at the bottom of the other end. Vessels are sloped
towards drain point. If the vessel has a top manhole, the vent can be located on the manhole cover. The drain valve
can also be located at the low point of the outlet piping instead of vessel.
Relief Valve - Located anywhere on the top of the drum, preferably at accessible location from the platform provided
for valve operation.
Level Gauge - The gauge glass shall be located at the least agitated liquid section. If the vessel is horizontal, the
location is best at the centre of inlet and outlet nozzle.
Pressure and Temperature Tap-offs - Pressure connection at the vapour space at the top of the vessels will make it
visible from the platform. The temperature connection shall be near the outlet pointing towards the platform.
Manholes - These can be positioned on the top to the side or at one end of the vessel. Depending upon the vessel
size, there can be two manholes, one located on top and the other is located on the shell accessible from the
grade.
Vessel Saddles - Ideally, saddles are located at 1/5 of the drum length from each tangent line. The vertical vessel
can be supported on skirt, on half skirt, on legs. The analysis of the support attachment shall be done accordingly.
Location of associated equipment around the vessel also influences the nozzle orientation. The liquid outlet should
be located towards the nearby pump suction. The elevation of the vessel should be such as to provide the
required NPSH. In a reactor, the manhole should be oriented towards the access aisle to facilitate manual feed if
required. The utility manifold and the process inlet manifold should be placed at the operating level irrespective
of the nozzle attached to the vessel.
The piping should run overhead as short and as simple as possible. Pipe rack shall be arranged which will support
electric and instrument trays along with pipelines. Piping should not transmit vibrations and should be isolated
from vibrating equipment with the help of expansion bellow or hoses. Such equipments are centrifuges, filters;
dryers etc. in all these cases, interaction with the manufacturers of equipment will always yield positive results.
While detailing the layout and piping it should always be borne in mind that this should achieve the best
performance as envisaged and detailed in the P & I diagrams.
The structural arrangement for support also contributes a considerable part in the economy of installation. Certain
economical arrangement of support is illustrated in Figures in next slide which are self-explanatory.
Pipe Support / Equipment support Arrangement
Distillation Tower
The liquid mixture that is to be processed is known as the feed and this is
introduced usually somewhere near the middle of the column to a tray
known as the feed tray. The feed tray divides the column into a top
(enriching or rectification) section and a bottom (stripping) section. The
feed flows down the column where it is collected at the bottom in the
reboiler.
Heat is supplied to the reboiler to generate vapour. The source of heat
input can be any suitable fluid, although in most chemical plants this is
normally steam. The vapour raised in the reboiler is re-introduced into the
unit at the bottom of the column. The liquid removed from the reboiler is
known as the bottoms product or simply, bottoms.
The vapour moves up the column, and as it exits the top of the unit, it is
cooled by a condenser. The condensed liquid is stored in a holding vessel
known as the reflux drum. Some of this liquid is recycled back to the top of
the column and this is called the reflux. The condensed liquid that is
removed from the system is known as the distillate or top product.
Thus, there are internal flows of vapour and liquid within the column as well
as external flows of feeds and product streams, into and out of the column.
The equipment components are located adjacent to each other in a process plant. The arrangement of principal
elements to integrate into the overall plant layout is as shown in Fig.

• The tower is located adjacent to the rack so that the lines can drop
directly on to the rack and can turn left or right. The plan view of the
tower shows the segment of the tower along its circumference
allotted to various utilities.
• Manhole faces the access roads or access aisles in case of indoor
layout. Platform is provided below each manhole at a distance of
750-1000 mm below the centreline. This will facilitate maintenance as
well as access to instruments and valves.
• From layout point of view, it is preferable to have equal platform
spacing, and orientation of bracket lined up along with the entire
length of the tower. This will minimize the interference with piping.
• Most reboilers are at grade next to tower with centreline elevations 1.5 m to 2 m above ground. This is to facilitate
tube bundle removal, maintenance access to valve and instruments. Vertical reboilers are supported on the
distillation column or adjacent to it at the same elevation.
• The area segment of piping going to equipment at grade
is available between ladders and on both sides of
manholes. For economy and easy support, piping should
drop immediately upon leaving the tower nozzle, and ran
parallel and as close to the tower possible.
• The insulation thickness of tower and that of any possible
flange on the tower as well as line should be considered
while decided the distance.
• The vertical line can be located at a suitable location for
the straight run for an orifice.
• The horizontal elevations after the lines leave the vertical
run are governed by the elevations of the main pipe rack.
• The lines to run further on the rack can approach the rack at a higher elevation considering the size of other
horizontal lines and be placed on the top tier. Lines running directly to equipment at grade, more or less in the
direction of pipe rack, often have the same elevation as the pipe rack.
• Lines from tower nozzles below the pipe rack should approach the pipe rack below the rack elevation. The same
elevation is used for lines that run for pumps located below rack.