Best practices for impulse tubing installation

Separation between redundant instrument sensing lines should be providedby free air space
or barriers or both such that no single failure can cause thefailure of more than one redundant
sensing line.The minimum separation between redundant sensing lines should be at least 450
mm. As an alternate a suitable steel or concrete barrier can be used.Instrument sensing
lines should be run along the walls, columns or ceilingswherever practicable, avoiding open
or exposed area to decrease thelikelihood of persons supporting themselves on the lines or
of damage to thesensing lines by pipe whip, jet forces or falling objects.Routing of
instrument sensing lines should ensure that the lines are not subjected to vibrations,
abnormal heat or stress.Where redundant instrument sensing lines penetrate a wall or floor
therequired separation (Minimum 450 mm) should be maintained. Care shouldbe taken to
ensure that the tubing/piping does not rest on or against anyabrasive surface.They should
be kept as short as possible. This is good for two reasons;a.

The speed of response is reduced for long runsb.

Resonance frequency is increased for longer tube runs. This isdetrimental from vibratory
and seismic considerations.The distance of transmission for instrumentation tubing should
be limited to16 meters only. Beyond this limit electrical or pneumatic transmission shouldbe
used.They should not cause any obstructions that would prohibit personnel ortraffic
access.They should not interfere with the accessibility for maintenance of
otheritems of equipment/instrument.They should avoid hot environments or potential fire
risk area.Sensing lines should be located with sufficient clearance to permit sagging.


TECHNICAL DOCUMENT ON INSTRUMENTATION TUBING AND THEIR CONNECTIONS

2008

Nirbhay Gupta 46

The two impulse lines especially in case of

P
/flow measurements should bekept close together to avoid a false pressure difference
arising from adifference in temperature.There should be provision for thermal expansion
and contraction preferablyby tube/pipe bends, elbows, offsets or changes in direction of
sensing lines.The number of joints should be kept to a minimum.Sensing lines should be
adequately supported along its entire length.Supports, brackets, clips, or hangers shall not
be fastened to the instrument sensing lines for the purpose of supporting cable trays or any
otherequipment.Sensing lines should continuously slope downwards towards the
sensinginstruments in case of liquid and upwards in case of gases. The slope shouldnot be
less than 1:12. The slope should be increased if the liquid in impulselines is more viscous than
water.Bends rather than fittings should be used to change the direction of a run of piping or
tubing. A bending tool should be used when bending the tubing incold condition. Fittings are
permitted where the use of bends is not practical.

Sharp bends should be avoided.
While installing the sensing lines the bend radius of tubing should not beless than 3 D
o
.
Tubes at different temperatures should not be run together for levelmeasurement. This may
affect the density of fluid in reference ormeasurement legs.The instrument sensing tubing or
piping runs pertaining to a nuclear safety-related instrument channel should be identified
and coded so as to identify itschannel.Each instrument-sensing line and associated valves in
this channel shouldhave an identification tag showing the channel and unique line or
valveidentification number.If multiple sensing lines are installed in a single tray, the tray
should beidentified with the appropriate sensing line numbers, colors, etc.Each instrument
sensing line, as a minimum, should be tagged at its processline root-valve connection, at
the instrument, and at any point in betweenwhere the sensing line passes through a wall or
a floor (on both sides of suchpenetration). Each valve also should be tagged.

Where tubing penetrates a radiation, fire, water, or air seal, care should betaken to ensure
that the seal is not degraded by the sensing line's seismic orthermal movements. In
addition, the mechanical properties of the seal shall be