PROCESS PIPING SYSTEMS 381
be supplied to the pressure vessels on the process unit for washing out orhydrostatiz
testing These comnections should be fiom the cooling-watersystem if the pressure
in the system is adequate to supply vater to the top of th: tallest tewer on the
unit; otherwise the connections should be to the fire water :ystem,
Nonally vessols neod not be permanently counected to 3 source of water. If
Permazent connection is made, it shoud be at the bottom ol the vessel and should
be blanked off wien the vessel. is in operation.
Air Piping. Most process plants have a plant ar system mot oily for use in the
procesies but Lo operate tools, equipment, and instruments.
‘Where necesscry, the intakes of air compressor: should be designed to minimize
the nobe level. Fiters should be proviced in the intake piping to reciprocating anc
rotary air compressors when they take suction fiom the atmosphere. Filters wil
sometines be necessary for centrifugal ir compresiors. Whena filter is not providee
for a centrifugal air compressor taking suction fom the atnosphere, the intake
Piping should be provided with a bird screen. Fiters preferibly should be-of the
; Feplaceable-cartridge type. Such fiers should have an open area not less then
three times the area of the intake pipe. The oil-bath-type filter should rot be used
with centrifugal air compressors
Low points in the discharge line fiom an air compressor should be avoided
because it is possible for lube oil to be trapped nd subsequently ignited. If low
points are unavoidable, they should be provided vith drains
When condensed moisture in air lines is undesirable from a process standpoint
(which typically is the case-for instrunent air ccnnections) or the possibilty of
moistue freezing exists, consideration should be given to providing an air drier
Grum in the supply line near the process unit. The drum should be loccted where
it will rot be exposed to heat from other equipment. Based on estimated future
air requirements, the size of the drum should be such that (I) the velocity in the
drum does not excted 15 fpm (0.08 m/s) during shutdown periods when maintenance
equipment is being used and (2) the capacity be equal to at keast 6 percent of the
free air requirements per minute during normal operation,
In clmates where freezing is possible, the botom 18 in '450 mm) of-the dry
drum should be insulated and heat traced. The d-um drain (or blow-cff) should
also be traced or insulated. All blow-off connections should be installed pointing
downwird so that any rust or scale blova out will aot endanger personel,
Air piping should slope downward to dry drums or moistire traps, cr be hori-
zontal, Branch cornections to air headers should te to the tcp of the ppe. Block
valves siould be provided in all branch lines.
Wher an air lin: is connected to process piping, two block valves, a check valve,
and a bieeder shotld be provided. A second bleec valve should also be provided
upstream of the check valve to test for tackflow th-ough the check. Consideration
should be given to also providing a removable secion of line or hose in order to
guard against inadvertent opcration
Air for operating instruments is normally a sepirate system from the plant air
system, and backup compression systems are often provided 1 increase in-service
reliability. For process units, a steam-deiven compressor shculd be fumished to
supply instrument air in case of failure of the main supply. Where plant air is the
primary source, ant! the possibility of a power failure is remot, electrically driven
compresiors may te used.
In exensive insirument air systems, tre piping siould be a-ranged with header
and subjeaders, such that groups of instruments mey be isolated from the systems
without affecting tke air supply to all instruments. Block valves should be providede382 DIPING SYSTEMS.
atthe instrument air headers in all branch lines to instramenis, Leads to individual
instruments should be NPS ¥%4 (DN 15) minimum. As a rule of thumb, headers
serving from 1 to 25 instruments thould be NPS 1 (DN 25) pipe size, and headers
serving from 26 to 75 instruments should be NPS 2 (DN 50) pipe size.
Steam and Condensate Piping. Process plants usually have twe ox more steam
systems and an exhaust steam condensate system. One of the stean systems gener-
aly operatesin the range of 100 tc 150 psig (690 to 1035 kPa) (low-pressure stzam),
and another operates 2t superheated conditions and significantly tigher pressures
(tigh-pressuce steam). The exhaust steam system normally operates at a pressure
of less than 50 psig (345 kPz). The design problems astociated with these systems
aie not all sinilar to those encountered in a central pover station, consequently a
biief discussion on process plant steam piping requirenents follovs.
The prindpal concern is to supply clean, dry steam to the equipment using it.
In accomplishing this, itis desirable to connect all branch lines (except condensate
‘ellection.pcints) to the top of horizontal steam mains. However, if the line to a
stam driveris at least one size smaller than the main apd the stesn has a consider
able amount of superhzat, it may be permissible 1o make a cente‘line connection
to the side of the steam main. With other steam contitiors it probably will be
necessary to install a knockout pot or drum or 2 stean separatcr in addition to
making the connection to the tor of the main. Pockets should be avoided in the
line to the turbine.
+ Connections to exhiust headers should preferably 2¢ made to the top of the
header so that the condensate in the header does not run back into the driver.
In the steam line tc a steam criver, a block, valve(:) should be located at the
diiver and be easily accessible for aperating purposes. A single gate valve is needed
inthe exhaust line from each steam driver that does nct exhaust cirectly to atmo-
sphere or ditectly into an individval condenser. However, valves reed not be.pro-
viled where iwo or more drivers, which will never be shut down separately, exhaust
to the same condenser. This exhasst gate valve should be installed at the driver so
that the position ‘of the gate (ie., open or closed) will >e obviousto the operator
whenever he is tequired to operace the inlet vaive.
‘Wherever steam is echausted to the atmosphere and could create such personnel
hwzards as burns, freeziag of condensate on walkways, o- the blanketing of working
area with a heavy fog, the line should be fitted with ar exhaust head and a drain
toa sewer. Tae use of asilencer should be considered where noise misance is lkely.
The fiexitility of steam piping should be attained through the tse of expansion
bends and ebbow fittings. The use of expansion joints is discouraged except where
the size and arrangement of exhaust lines prevent th: use of expansion. tends,
which may be the case of certain steam exhaust connections to steam condensers.
Particular attention shculd be given to the anchorage and support of the cornect-
‘ng piping. .
‘When recuired by the service, means should be available for purging process
ecuipment with steam or inert gas. For example, each pressure vesse in hydrocurbon
service should be provded with a steam-hose coanecton near the bottom £ not,
permanently connected to the source of steam. However, where a permanent con-
nection is made, it should be blinsed during operation of the unit
‘The stean supply for smothering, snuffing, service hoses, space heating, and
auxiliary of 2rotective heating should be connected tc a source that will not be
shut off during unit shatdowns or to a source thet wil not be shut off when the
steam to a fiece of equipment sich as a turbine is stut off. For fire protection+ PROCESSPIPING SYSTEMS cata
Purpcscs, smothering (or saultfing) steam usually is required for fied heaters and
for relief valve cischarge lines
Gondensate Renoval and Steam Treps. Concensate shuld preferably be di
charged into an oil free drain system, but under no ‘circumstances should it be
discherged into 2 sanitary sewer, Corsideration should be given to a condensate
collce ion systemin installations whichinvolve a large numberof steam:raps. When
Condensate is to 2¢ discharged to a cast iron or concrete sewer of a coreretn sewer
box, tae hazard of vaporizing hydrocarbons which may exst in the sewer should
pe cossidered. Also, to avoid damage to the coxcrete, the connection should be
below the water level. If there is insuficient quantity of water for quenching, the
condeasate should be first led to an atmospherepressure dain tank,
Steam traps should be provided for the removal of condensate from collection
Points in live anc exhaust steam systems, in partcular from condensate drip legs
Grains on steam turbines, steam separztors, connectors, unit heaters, and termina
fads of companion piping: Ail low points in steam lines, except steam companiot
lines and the encs of long headers, shculd be prcvided with drip legs. It may alse
be Recsssary to install drip legs at interniediate ponts on headers with long sestions
at one elevation (ie., in addition to those low points at the end).
When a valve’ installed in steam piping in such a manner that condensate can
collect above the valve, a trapped drain should D2 provided above the valve seat
Whenever posible, a steam trap siould be installed below end ciose to the
cauipment pipelite being drained, but the trap should be easily accessible for
Period inspectios. Each trap should serve only onc collection point. Where large
Quantities of condensate are expected, cither condensate pots or condensate draive
should be provided. :
Drans from turbine shaft packing glinds and fom governor valve stem packing
slands should preferably be connected to an open drain system. The drain lines
and betdors should be of sulfcient size to preven: a backpressure builiup. Also,
untrapped drains chould be provided at the lowes: point of the steam ead of each
reciprocating pump and compressor. _——
Drains not discharging into a closed drainage system shouilddischarge downward
and sheuld be arrenged so that rising stzam does aot create « hazard or condense
Sn cauipment, such as a turbine or pump. The condensation of rising steam.on
such equipment can create lube oil contamination. One thing that can te done to
help eliminate this problem is to quench the.condensate.
principal cawe of steam traps freeing is improperly designed discharge lines.
Steam tap dischaige lines should be sicped for drainage where possible. In cases
where. freezing is likely, no part of the trap discharge header should be at aa
clevatioa above that of the trap dischaige. Focke's in the diicharge lines should
be avoiced. Long trap-discharge lines, itt in heated enclostres, should be inou
Hiet, miaP-dlscharge lines in heated enclcsures needto be insulited only ifyecessary
{for burt protection, To decrease further the posibility of teezing, stam trap
bodies shoulé not be insulated unless the followng circumstances make doing
s0 advisable:
* The trap is installed downstream of auiomatic steim control: that coule shut the
steam off for long periods of time.
* The trap is installed in a location where operators might be burned by the bare
metal surfaces,
* The trap is part of a heat recovery system where retention cf heat is important,