BASIC FLEXIBILITY COURSE

PAGE 6 OF 91
MARCH 1995

PIPING SKETCH

EXAMPLE 1

basic flexibility course1

 BASIC FLEXIBILITY COURSE
PAGE 7 OF 91
MARCH 1995

EXAMPLE 1

Cooling water line between pipe rack and exchanger

1. Supporting the pipeline:

Table for allowable spans () indicates:

3" line filled with water at less than 94°C:

recommended span: 7290 mm (7.3 m)

Always assume the line filled with water (hydrostatic test condition), unless specifically
stated otherwise, when designing supports.

The span 0.6 + 12 + 2 = 14.6 m is too large. An additional support is necessary.

Possibilities are:

a. Beam in the pipe rack

b. T-support along side the exchanger-support.
c. Support from the exchanger shell. (not recommended on account of exchanger
removal.)

When only supporting from the beam in the pipe rack, the length of the remaining part will
be:

7+2=9m

Recommended for this case is:

0.75 x 7.3 = 5.5 m max.

So also a T-support appears to be necessary. The remaining span of 3 + 2 = 5 m is smaller

than 5.5 m and acceptable. To enable the use of a T-support offset the line as shown.

2. Check the load on the 3" exchanger nozzle:

A safe assumption is not to exceed:

500N /inch pipe diameter

when considering loads on equipment such as exchangers.

When this limit is exceeded, it is recommended to contact the Stress group. It is important to
check the total piping load of all connections, especially in cases of higher pressure ratings.

basic flexibility course1