Piping System

©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 1

 Objectives

• Define fluid, pressure, and viscosity.

• Describe the three major functions of piping.
• Describe how piping, fittings, and valves are
sized and rated.
• Describe how piping is installed.

©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 2

 Piping System
• Therefore, for any given Differential
Fluid friction opposes fluid flow. Friction always increases as the flow rate increases.
Pressure across a section of pipe, there is a steady maximum flow that results if no further restrictions
are added.

• Viscosity
• There are two kinds of friction within any piping system:

• Wall friction between the fluid and the pipe walls

• Internal friction (or viscosity)

• Viscosity, or the internal friction of a fluid, produces the greater resistance to flow. Fluids move through
pipes in layers that slip by each other at different rates of flow. This shearing action creates friction.
Viscosity increases with the “thickness” of the fluid. A thicker fluid has a higher viscosity (or resistance
to flow).

• .

©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 3

In the pipe shown in Figure 1-1, the fluid is made to change direction with
an ell-shaped fitting. In this case, the fluid turns 90° by friction with the wall
of the ell. In the pipe on the right, a tee-shaped fitting is installed, and one
side of the tee is plugged. Because the “dead” side of the tee is filled with
fluid, the flow changes direction with friction against the “dead” fluid.

In this example the fluid friction in the tee is over nine times greater than it
is in the ell, for the same
flow rate. The greater
friction is created by the
viscosity of the fluid
(or the fluid’s internal resistance
to flow).

©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 4

 Piping System
Functions

The three major functions that piping performs are:

·Transporting fluids
·Containing fluid pressure
·Directing fluid flow and regulating flow rate

 Stopped and isolated

 Regulated for rate of flow
 Routed through different piping
 Directed to a different destination
©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 5
 Piping System
Pipe, fittings, and valves must all fit together to form a piping
system. To ensure uniform sizing and rating, a system of
describing sizes and ratings has been developed.

Piping Sizes and Rating

To understand piping installation, you must first know how piping
is measured and rated.

Piping is manufactured and sold by two independent

designations:

·Nominal size
·Schedule

©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 6

Piping System

• Nominal Size
• Nominal size is approximately the inside diameter of the pipe
or fitting, expressed in inches, or fractions of an inch. The
smallest nominal pipe size is 1/8 inch. In larger nominal sizes,
48 inches is not uncommon. Nominal sizes increase by
standard steps in size, such as 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, 1, 1‑1/2, 2, 3,
4, 6, 8 inch, and so-on.

• A standard length or joint of any size pipe is 20 feet long.

©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 7
Piping System
Schedule

Pipe schedule is a number that expresses the ability of the

pipe to resist pressure. The higher the schedule number, the
greater the strength of the pipe. Pipe schedules are rated in
standard units. Common schedules for piping are 20, 40, 80,
120, 160, and so-on. For the common nominal sizes up to 8
inches, standard-service pipe is rated schedule 40: below
schedule 40 is light-duty piping and above schedule 40 is
heavy duty piping. This designation is not true for the larger
nominal sizes.

©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 8

Piping System
• The schedule rating for piping is raised by increasing the wall
thickness. The outside diameter for any nominal size pipe must
remain fixed so the fittings will always fit. Therefore, to increase the
schedule of a pipe, the inside diameter must be reduced to increase
the wall thickness. A higher schedule number has less capacity to
carry fluid than a lower schedule for any given nominal size
• When fully describing a pipe, both designations must
be used. In describing a pipe in the field, usually only
the nominal size is used. The schedule of a pipe in
service cannot be determined visually without reading
the marking.

©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 9

 Pipe Construction
Pipe is constructed by two common methods:

·Welded seam
·Seamless

Welded Seam Pipe

Welded seam pipe is rolled from a flat plate, and the seam is welded
where the edges of the roll butt together. Welded seam pipe has uniform
wall thickness but may have flaws in the weld. Welded seam pipe should
not be used for corrosive liquids that could attack the weld flaws.

Seamless Pipe
Seamless pipe is extruded or forged from a solid billet of steel. It has the
advantage of having no weld seam that can be attacked by corrosives.

©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 10

 Pipe Fittings
Pipe fittings are the connections used to join lengths of pipe, to change the direction of a pipe run, to reduce pipe size, or to branch a pipe run.
Some common pipe fittings are:
Caps
Couplings
Ells
Flanges
Metering flanges
Reducers
Tees

©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 11

Size and Rating of Pipe Fittings
Pipe fittings are sized by nominal size, the same method
used for pipe.

They are rated by their working pressure, not by schedule.

Examples of ratings are 150 lb, 300 lb, 400 lb, and 600 lb.
The “lb” refers to the working pressure in psi (pounds per
square inch). The rated “lbs” is at elevated temperature, as
prescribed by ANSI (American National Standards Institute).
At ambient temperature the strength of fittings is much
higher than their rating.

©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 12

Valves
Valves are inserted into piping runs to control and direct
flow. Most valves are hand-operated and used to start and
stop flows. For automatic process control, special valves
with precision flow characteristics are remotely operated by
automatic controllers.

Valves are sized and rated in the same way as fittings; that
is, by nominal pipe size and by pressure rating. Standard
service valves are rated at
150 lbs.

©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 13

 How Piping, Fittings, and Valves are Joined

Steel piping and fittings are joined by two methods:

·Threaded connections
·Welded connections

Joining Valves
Valves are seldom joined to piping by welding. Welding on valves can
cause warping and leakage. Though weld valves are manufactured,
most valves are installed with flanges or threaded connections. Flanges
are cast as part of the valve. The valve flange mates with a flange
welded to the connected piping and the valve is bolted into place.
Before bolting, a gasket is inserted between the two flanges. Flanges
will leak if care is not taken when they are assembled.

©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 14

 Piping Material
A piping network is a system of pipes, fittings, and valves that form a
conduit to route a fluid to a destination. The piping system consists of
lengths of pipe joined to each other and fittings to change direction, branch
to alternative destinations, and change pipe size. Other fittings connect pipe
so the piping system can be readily disassembled. Valves are installed to
block, regulate, and change the direction of flow.

Pipe
In addition to size and schedule, pipe is sold according to the material used
in its manufacture. Common materials for piping are:

·Carbon steel
·Alloy steel
·Plastics and resins
·Cast-iron

©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 15

Each kind of piping material is best suited for a specific use.
Carbon steel pipe is lowest in cost and has good general-use
properties. However, it cannot be used for high temperature
service, for hydrogen service, nor for handling certain
corrosives. Properly designated alloy piping can serve in high
temperatures, with most corrosives, and with hydrogen.
Plastic and resin piping is the best material for strong acids
and caustics.

Cast-iron pipe and fittings were the traditional pipe for

sewer systems but have largely been replaced with PVC
(plastic) pipe. Cast-iron is rarely used for process piping,
but it is still used for process plant sewers.

©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 16

Fittings
Pipe fittings are made to:

·Connect pipes with other pipes, valves, and equipment

·Allow pipe runs to change direction
·Transition between different pipe sizes
·Create branches and manifolds
·Close off the ends of lines
Flanges, Unions, and Couplings
Flanges, unions, and couplings are fittings that join lengths
of pipe. Flanges connect lengths of welded pipe to each
other or to equipment. Unions and couplings make similar
connections with threaded piping.
Figure 2-1 illustrates an example of welded flanges that
are used to join two lengths of pipe.
©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 17
©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 18
©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 19
©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 20
©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 21
©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 22
©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 23
©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 24
©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 25
Pipe Supports
Piping needs to be well supported to take the stress off of fittings and valves.
Yet, it needs to be flexible to allow for expansion and contraction.

Pipe Racks
Piping in a processing plant is laid out in parallel runs on elevated pipe racks
or on piers. Pipe racks are beamed structures with posts and cross-beams at
regular intervals. Tie beams and cross-bracing make the whole structure rigid.

Figure 1-2 illustrates a pipe rack.

A short length of “structural tee” is welded to the bottom of each pipe, where
the pipe rests on the pipe rack. These “tee” shoes raise the pipe off the rack
support beam so that insulation will not be crushed by the weight of the pipe.

©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 26

©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 27
©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 28
Piping Layout and Design

©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 29

Piping Layout and Design
• Pipe Metallurgy
• Ordinary carbon steel is commonly used for general service applications. It has serious
limitations for use in some processes. It has a melting point of 1050°F, which is below
the operating temperature of some processes. At low refrigerated temperatures, carbon
steel becomes brittle and will readily shatter. Some cryogenic processes operate at
temperatures below –350°F. At this temperature, carbon steel behaves like fragile glass.
Carbon steel is readily attacked by hydrogen (at elevated temperatures), sulfur
compounds, some acids, and some caustics. However, it is highly resistant to other acids
and caustics.

• For these reasons, special alloys are required to overcome these limitations for piping.
Alloys must be formulated to counteract the specific conditions present. Metallurgy
often changes several times in a particular piping system. For your reference, Table 1 in
Appendix A describes the characteristics of various carbon steels and steel alloys used
for piping components.
©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 30
Piping Layout and Design

Piping Mechanical Integrity

If your plant is handling hazardous materials, your management
has a program in place for maintaining the mechanical integrity of
your piping systems. This is required by regulation. You should
become familiar with this piping mechanical integrity program. As
an operator you will probably perform minor maintenance on the
piping in your facility.

©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 31

 Piping Insulation
Piping insulation is molded in standard lengths and split lengthwise into halves to allow application. The halves are fitted around the pipe and wired in place. The joints are sealed with an insulating cement. Metal jacketing is applied around the insulation and held in
place with sheet-metal screws or rivets.

Specially formed insulation and

jacketing is made for fittings and
valves.

©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 32

 Piping System Inspection
A preventive maintenance program should include inspection and
cleaning. Preventive maintenance should be scheduled and performed
at regular intervals. The first part of any preventive maintenance task
is to inspect the system.

Inspection
Inspection of a piping system includes checking its parts. Perform the
following steps when inspecting a piping system.

1. Check for corrosion and leakage in:

·Fittings
·Flanges
·Blinds
·Valves

2. Check that valves are working correctly (e.g., no through-leakage).

©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 33

 Piping System Inspection
3. Check that hangers are secure and piping is fully supported.

• NOTE
• Off-rack piping should be inspected during normal inspection
tours to be sure that all guide shoes are in their guides and
that expansion supports and devices are working properly.

4. Report any unusual signs or sounds detected around piping

systems.
©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 34
 Glossary
• ceramic
• Any of various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by
firing clay or other materials and consisting of one or more metals in combination
with a nonmetal.

• condensate
• The product of reducing the volume of a vapor, producing a liquid.

• contaminant
• A substance that makes another impure or corrupt by contact or mixture.

• contraction
• The act of reducing in size by drawing together; shrinking.

©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 35

Glossary
• degreaser
• An agent that aides in the cleaning of equipment.

• efficiency
• The quality of acting or producing effectively with a minimum of waste, expense, or unnecessary effort.

• expansion
• The act of increasing the dimension of an object.

• ferrous
• An adjective describing a material containing iron.

• fluid
• A substance that is characterized by a low resistance to flow and the tendency to assume the shape of its container.

• H2S
• Chemical symbol for hydrogen sulfide.

©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 36

 • nonferrous
• Not composed of or containing iron.

• sediment
• A material that settles to the bottom of a liquid.

• solvent
• A substance capable of dissolving another substance.

• Teflon®
• A synthetic coating that prevents sticking.

• vessel
• A container or structural envelope in which materials are processed, treated, or stored;
for example, pressure vessels, agitator vessels, and storage vessels.
• volume
• The size or extent of a three-dimensional object or region of space

©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 37

• ASTM
• Number Material Remarks
• A-53 Carbon Steel Manufactured in welded and seamless.
•
• A-106 Carbon Steel Seamless. In the modern plant, almost all carbon steel pipe

•
• A-333 Carbon Steel Used for subzero temperatures. Incorporates special testing.
• For use to -50°F.
•
• A-335 Carbon Moly Basically a carbon steel with ½% molybdenum. Used in
medium-high temperature service.
•
• A-335 P11 Chrome Moly 1¼% chrome, ½% molybdenum. Used in higher
temperature, corrosive services.

• A-335 P9 Chrome Moly 9% chrome, 1% molybdenum. Used in high

temperature, highly corrosive services.
©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 38
©2023 Course Title Haward Technology Middle East 39