54073275-Piping-and-Pipeline-Engineering George Antaki

8.7.2 Good Layout and Supports

A very flexible piping system, such as a spring-hung system, will exhibit large
amplitudes of vibration. It is necessary to provide rigid guides in a piping system
to
prevent excessive vibration. In particular, support heavy in-line components such
as large
valves. On hot systems, guides have to be placed judiciously to allow for
expansion.
Avoid long pipe spans with fundamental frequencies within 20 % of rotating
equipment frequencies.
The design of piping systems prone to vibration should avoid points of high stress
concentration where vibration induced fatigue failure are known to have occurred,
such
as unreinforced branch connections. Replace sharp pipe-on-pipe fabricated branch
connections by smooth, contoured integrally reinforced branch connections, to avoid
the
formation of vortices in the flow.
The frequent fatigue failure of pipe socket welds has lead to extensive studies of
the
effects of mechanical vibrations on the fatigue life of socket welded pipe joints
[EPRI,
Smith, Higuchi, Ricardella]. The potential for vibration induced fatigue leakage or
rupture of pipe socket welds can be minimized in several ways: (a) tie back the
vent or
drain to the run pipe [Olson]; (b) use thicker wall pipe; (c) avoid lap or slip-on
joints, (d)
use full penetration welds; (e) insist on quality welding, particularly the first
pass for
fillet welds; (f) try to size fillet welds with the pipe leg twice the size of the
socket leg.
In piping systems prone to vibration, avoid unnecessary changes in direction. Use
surge tanks and terminal point tanks where necessary, as explained in section 8.4.
Use vibration damping devices, catalog items specially designed for that purpose
[Mays]. Avoid the use of snubbers to eliminate or mitigate vibration. Snubbers are
designed to restrain the pipe against large accelerations or velocities such as
those due to
earthquakes or water hammer, they are generally not meant to mitigate low amplitude
high cycle vibration.