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MILIND SATPUTE
PIPING GUIDE
1
What are the types of compressors?
Ans : Positive Displacement, Centrifugal and Axial, rotary screw, rotary
vane, rotary lobe, dynamic, liquid ring compressors.
2
What are types of compressor drives?
Ans : Electric motor, gas turbine, steam turbine and gas engine.
3
How Centrifugal compressors work ?
Ans : Highspeed impellers increase the kinetic energy of the gas,
converting this energy into higher pressures in a divergent outlet passage
called a diffuser. Large volume of gas at moderate pressure.
4
What are types of steam turbine and why are they popular?
Ans : Condensing and non-condensing, Popular because can convert
large amounts of heat energy into mechanical work very efficiently.
5
Where gas turbine drive is used ?
Ans : Desserts and offshore platforms where gas is available, for gas
transmission, gas lift, liquid pumping, gas re-injection and process
compressors.
6
What are the auxillary equipments of compressor?
Ans : Lube oil consoles, Seal oil consoles, Surface condensers,
Condensate pump, Air blowers, Inlet air filters, Wast heat system,
compressor suction drum, knock out pot, Pulsation dampner, volume
bottles, Inter and after coolers.
7
What are the types of seal oil system?
Ans : Gravity and pressurized.
8
What factors to be considered while designing compressor housing?
Ans : Operation, Maintenance, Climate conditions, Safety, Economics.
9
What are the compressor housing design points?
Ans : Floor elevation, building width, building elevation, hook centerline
elevation.
10
What are the types of compressor cases?
Ans : Horizontal split case, Vertical split case.
11
What are compressor suction line requirements?
Ans : Minimum 3D straight pipe between elbow and inlet nozzle,
increases based on inlet piping layout. 4D
MILIND SATPUTE
PIPING GUIDE
1
What are drum internals?
Ans : Demister pads, Baffles, Vortex breakers, Distribution piping.
2
What are drum elevation requirements?
Ans : NPSH, minimum clearance, common platforming, maintenance,
operator access.
3
What are drum supports?
Ans : Skirt for large drums, legs, lugs, saddles for horizontal drums.
4
What are necessary nozzles for non-pressure vessel?
Ans : Inlet, outlet, vent, manhole, drain, overflow, agitator, temperature
element, level instrument, and steamout connection.
5
What are necessary nozzles for pressure vessel?
Ans : Inlet, outlet, manhole, drain, pressure relief, agitator, level guage,
pressure gauge, temperature element, vent and for steamout.
6
What is preferred location for level instrument nozzles?
Ans : Away from the turbulence at the liquid outlet nozzle, although the
vessel is provided with a vortex breaker, instrument should be set in the
quiet zone of the vessel for example on the opposite side of the weir or
baffle or near the vapor outlet end.
MILIND SATPUTE
PIPING GUIDE
7
What is preferred location for process nozzles on drum?
Ans : Minimum from the tangent line.
MILIND SATPUTE
PIPING GUIDE
1
What is NPSH ?
Ans : It is measure of the pressure drop of the liquid as it moves form
the inlet of the pump to the eye of the impeller, determined by testing
and expressed in feet of water by pump manufacturer.
2
What is cavitation ?
Ans : Cavitation is a rapid collapse of vapor pressure that can produce
noise, result in loss of head and capacity and create a severe erosion of
the impeller and casing surface in the adjacent inlet areas.
3
What is velocity head?
Ans : The head loss caused by the consumed power to accelerate
stationary fluid to suction line velocity during pump startup. Its about 1 ft.
4
What is standard for petroleum pumps?
Ans : API 610 is the standard for centrifugal pumps in petroleum
industry.
5
Where positive displacement pumps are used ?
Ans : Used to move viscous liquids, injects chemicals or additives into a
system, or pump quantities too small for centrifugal pumps.
6
What are types of rotary pumps ?
Ans : External Gear, Cam and piston, two lobe, three lobw, single screw,
Two screw.
7
Where rotary pumps are used ?
Ans : For viscous liquids that are free of hard and abrasive fluids.
8
Where should boiler feed water pumps be located ?
Ans : They take water from a deaerator and generally operate close to
the vapor pressure of the liquid, hence they must be located as close to
the deaerator as possible.
9
Tell something about vertical pumps ?
Ans : Used where low available NPSH is not sufficient, for surface
condenser, for waste material in concrete pit, screen at the bottom.
10
Where centrifugal pumps in vacuum service be located ?
Ans : directly below tower, may be on spring supports.
11
How to support discharge line of centrifugal pump ?
Ans : Discharge line should be supported as close to the top elbow as possible
and should be within five diameters of that elbow, using spring support.
MILIND SATPUTE
PIPING GUIDE
1
How suction line is supported?
Ans : Commonly supported under the elbow adjacent to the pump nozzle.
2
How the suction line reducer should be placed ?
Ans : It should be placed top flat.
3
What are suction line requirements?
Ans : To flat reducer, strainer, block valve, no pockets, as short as
possible with consideration to stress, min straight length of 3D.
4
What are the requirements of discharge piping?
Ans : Reducer, Pressure indicator, check valve, block valve, min. stress,
support at top elbow.
5
What is accepted distance between pumps?
Ans : 1200 MM / 4 feet.
6
What is special requirement for discharge line of positive displacement
pump?
Ans : Relief valve whose discharge is connected in suction line between the
isolating valve and the pump.
REACTOR
FURNACES
1
Where furnaces shall be located ?
Ans : Furnaces shall be located upwind or side wind of process units to
blow any combustible leaks away from the open flame, Min 90M away
from tanks and 30M away from control room.
2
What should be stack height?
Ans : Stack height shall be minimum 6M above working platform in the
vicinity of 25m radius.
MILIND SATPUTE
PIPING GUIDE
1
Where spiral heat exchangers are used? Ans : Generally in chemical
plants
2
How piping is positioned for spiral heat exchanters ? Ans : Piping
positioned to allow opening of covers and the removal plates.
1
What are the types of tube arrangments?
Ans : U-tube, Fixed tube, kettle arrangement.
2
What is full form of TEMA?
Ans : Tubular exchangers manufacturers Association.
3
Which fluids to be sent through tubes?
Ans : Fouling and/or corrosive fluids (Easy cleaning and cheaper to
replace tubes than shell), hotter fluid : To reduce heat loss to the
surroundings except steam., refrigerant, cooling fluid.
4
What should be clearance between flanges of exchangers?
Ans : 1000 MM.
PLATE EXCHANGERS
MILIND SATPUTE
PIPING GUIDE
LPG STORAGE
1
How to group LPG Vessels ?
Ans : Max 6 Vessels, total capacity 15,000 cum, curb wall, distance
between vessels of different groups 30M, separate dedicated manifold for
each group.
2
Where to located LPG Storage ?
Ans : Downwind of process units, important buildings and facilities, not in
same dyke where other flammable liquid HCs stored, single row in case
of spheres and bullets, not one above the other, bullet head not toward
other vessel, no dip ditch to avoid LPG Settling.
3
How to operate LPG Cylinders ?
Ans : Separate area for empty and filled cylinders, Cylinders vertical, not
near other gase cylinders, never below grade, smooth trucking traffic.
MILIND SATPUTE
PIPING GUIDE
MILIND SATPUTE
PIPING GUIDE
11.
How TSO valve should be installed ?
Ans : Tight shut off (TSO) valve or reduced port ball contrl valve should
be installed in vertical for gas service and horizontal ok for liquid
service.
12.
How bypass valve in control station should be located?
Ans : Near inlet branch point, not above control valve, with 200mm
clearance between actuator and valve.
13.
How control station should be supported ?
Ans : It should be supported such that control station piping is self
supporting even if the control valve is removed. Normally, on exit side
elbows of bottom run of control valve.
14.
Why and where drain should be located in control valve assembly
?
Ans : Drain is used to drain the piping between two block valves on two
sides of control valve before removing control valve for maintenance. It
must be located at lowest point of bottom run. One drain is used if
control valve is fails open, and two drain used if control valve fails close,
as both sides are blocked in this case. For one drain, it should be
upstream side of control valve.
15.
Where reducer shall be located in control valve assembly ?
Ans : As close as possible to control valve, preferably directly welded
control valve flanges.
16.
How breakup flanges for control valve should be located ?
Ans : One vertical and one horizontal which is achieved by having one
block valve in vertical leg of control valve inlet. Do not place support on
inlet elbow.
17.
What are the types of flow measuring devices?
Ans : Orifice plate, Variable area flow meter i.e. rotameter, magnetic
flow meter, turbine flow meter, positive displacement meter.
18.
What is piping and instrument scope of supply for orifice meter ?
Ans : Piping provided gaskets and bolts and tapping from orifice plate
to two block valves. Instrument provides orifice plate and flange
assembly and connection down stream of block valves.
19.
How orifice flange taps should be oriented ?
Ans : For liquid and steam, it should be horizontal or 45 degree down
from horizontal on both sides. For gas and vapor lines, it should be
vertical or 45 to vertical on both sides. Taps are 0.5 inch.
20.
What are straight run requirements of orifice plate ?
Ans : Inlet straight run requirement can be 15D to 20D and outlet
straight run requirement 5D min. It depends on piping configuration and
d/D ration i.e. ration of inside dia of orifice plate and pipe. It is to be
confirmed with instrument engineer in instrument specification of
MILIND SATPUTE
project.
PIPING GUIDE
21.
What are straight run requirements for vortex meters?
Ans : 5D upstream.
22.
Where restriction orifice plates are used ?
Ans : For effective distribution of fluid in piping network.
23.
What are types of level measurement?
Ans : Direct and inferential
24.
What are direct methods of level measurement?
Ans : Gauge glasses, reflex or transparent, calibrated tapes or dip
sticks placed in vessel and calibrated directly in level or volume.
25.
What are inferential methods of level measurement?
Ans : Hydrotatic head, buoyancy, conductance, radiation, float.
26.
What is hydrostatic head type level transmitter.?
Ans : Installed directly on nozzle, uses pressure sensing assembly to
get the level. Diaphragm type used for liquids with solids.
27.
What are pressure instruments used in chemical industries?
Ans : Manometers, bourden tubes, bellows and diaphragms.
28.
What are manometers?
Ans : Single or U type glass tube with mercury or other fluid. Inclined
tube for very low pressure measurement used.
29.
What are types of bourdon tubes?
Ans : C, the spiral and helical, most widely used since 100 years.
30.
What are temperature measuring instruments?
Ans : Thermocouples, resistance temperature detectors, filled system,
bimetallic thermometer, thermowells.
31.
What thermocouple metals normally used?
Ans : Iron + Constantine, Chromel + Alumel etc.
32.
How resistance thermocouples work ?
Ans : Electrical resistance of a conductor changes with temperature.
33.
How filled system temperature element work ?
Ans : Bourdon tube, filled with liquid, liquid expands, bourdoun tube
indicates on scale temperature.
34.
How bimetallic thermocouple work ?
Ans : Different expansion of different metals bends the bimetallic strip
to indicate temperature. Invar and Nickel pair used.
35.
What is minimum pipe size required for thermowell installation?
Ans : 3
MILIND SATPUTE
PIPING GUIDE
RACK
36.
What are design considerations for pipe rack ?
Ans : Rack width, no of levels and elevations, bent spacing, pipe
flexibility, Access and maintenance of each item in pipe rack.
37.
What are steps in rack design?
Ans : Generate line routine diagram, Calculate bent spacing, set width
of rack, decide elevations and levels.
38.
What is pipe bent?
Ans : Pipe bent consists of a vertical column or columns and a
horizontal structural member or members that carry piping systems,
usually above the headroom.
39.
What factors affect pipe span?
Ans : Size, Schedule, liquid or vapor, insulated or bare pipe.
40.
What are spandrels?
Ans : Horizontal structural members located along the longitudinal
centerline that are used for structural stability, pipe support or
intermediate pipe bents.
41.
Which lines placed where in rack ?
Ans : Process lines on lower level, utility lines on top level, instrument
and cable trays on utility level or separate topmost level, Heavy lines
near columns, Flare line outside rack on cantilever beams or inside rack
above top level , steam lines with expansion loops on one side of rack,
line s with orifice runs on one side of rack beside columns for
maintenance using portable ladder.
42.
How much extra space required for rack ?
Ans : 20 % extra for future lines.
43.
How to route steam lines on rack ?
Ans : Steam headers on top level or rack, determine growth by
multiplying coefficient (From nomograph) of expansion by length of line.
Try anchor in middle, determine growth of each branch and see weather
the have enough flexibility, if not anchor at th distance on both sides,
determine amount of expansion leg from nomograph, and decide loop
size. Line that require largest expansion leg should be located on the
outside of the loop.
MILIND SATPUTE
PIPING GUIDE
INSULATION
44.
What insulating materials are used ?
Ans : Asbestos, calcium silicate, cellular glass, cellular silica,
diatomaceous silica plus asbestos, Mineral fiber, mineral wool,
magnesia, polyeurothene foam.
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Ans Refers to a plug type disc globe valve used for removing sludge and
sedimentary matter from the bottom of boiler drums, vessels, driplegs
etc.
27. What is Breather Valve?
Ans: A special self acting valve installed on storage tanks etc. to release
vapor or gas on slight increase of internal pressure ( in the region of to
3 ounces per square inch).
28. What is Drip Valve?
Ans: A drain valve fitted to the bottom of a driplet to permit blowdown.
29. What is Flap Valve?
Ans: A non return valve having a hinged disc or rubber or leather flap
used for low pressure lines.
30. What is Hose Valve?
Ans: A gate or globe valve having one of its ends externally threaded to
one of the hose thread standards in use in the USA. These valves are
used for vehicular and firewater connections.
31. What is Paper-Stock Valve?
Ans: A single disc single seat gate valve (Slide gate) with knife edged or
notched disc used to regulate flow of paper slurry or other fibrous slurry.
32. What is Root Valve?
Ans: A valve used to isolate a pressure element or instrument from a line
or vessel, or a valve placed at the beginning of a branch form the
header.
33. What is Slurry valve?
Ans: A knife edge valve used to control flow of non-abrasive slurries.
34. What is Spiral sock valve?
Ans: A valve used to control flow of powders by means of a twistable
fabric tube or sock.
35. What is Throttling valve?
Ans: Any valve used to closely regulate flow in the just-open position.
36. What is Vacuum breaker?
Ans: A special self-acting valve or nay valve suitable for vacuum service,
operated manually or automatically, installed to admit gas (usually
atmospheric air) into a vacuum or low-pressure space. Such valves are
installed on high points of piping or vessels to permit draining and
sometimes to prevent siphoning.
37.
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Ans: Any on/off valve rapidly operable, either by manual lever, spring or
by piston, solenoid or lever with heat-fusible link releasing a weight which
in falling operates the valve. Quick acting valves are desirable in lines
conveying flammable liquids. Unsuitable for water or for liquid service in
general without a cushioning device to protect piping from shock.
-4-
Ans : Full port and reduced port. Default is reduced bore. Full port has to
be specified in bom.
72. How to close a gate valve ?
Ans :Turn the handwheel in clockwise direction.
73. What is lantern ring?
Ans : Its a collection point to drain off any hazardous seepages or as a
point where lubricant can be injected, it is in the middle of packing rings.
74. What are types of gate valves?
Ans : Solid plane wedge, solid flexible wedge, split wedge, double disc
paralles seats, double disc wedge, single disc single seat gate or slide,
single disc parallel seats, plug gate valve.
75. What are the types of bonnets?
Ans : Bolted bonnet, bellow sealed bonnet, screwed on bonnet, union
bonnets, A U-bolt and clamp type bonnet, breechlock bonnet, pressure
seal bonnet.
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