Process-Plant Piping

Codes and Standards

 Pressure-Piping Codes
Pressure-Piping Codes The code for pressure piping (ASME B31) consists of a number of sections
which collectively constitute the code (as of July 2005).
The Process Piping Code (ASME B31.3) is a subsection of the ASME code for Pressure Piping
B31. It was derived from a merging of the code groups for chemical-plant (B31.6) and petroleum-
refinery (B31.3) piping into a single committee. Some of the significant requirements of ASME
B31.3, Process Piping (2004 edition) are summarized in the following presentation.

Status of ASME B31 Code for Pressure Piping

 National Standards
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the American Petroleum Institute
(API) have established dimensional standards for the most widely used piping components. Lists
of these standards as well as specifications for pipe and fitting materials and testing methods of
the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), American Welding Society (AWS)
specifications, and standards of the Manufacturers Standardization Society of the Valve and
Fittings Industry (MSS) can be found in the ASME B31 code sections. Many of these standards
contain pressure-temperature ratings which will be of assistance to engineers in their design
function.

ANSI B31 - code for pressure piping which consists of a number of sections
that collectively constitute the code
 Standard number Designation
B31.1 Power Piping
B31.2 Fuel Gas Piping
B31.3 Chemical Plant and Petroleum Refinery Piping
B31.4 Liquid Petroleum Transportation Piping Systems
B31.5 Refrigeration Piping
B31.7 Nuclear Power Piping
B31.8 Gas Transmission & Distribution Systems
( Please refer to Ch.E. Handbook for added information on the Codes)

Factors to consider in selecting Piping materials:

1. Possible exposure to fire with respect to the loss of strength, degradation
temperature, melting point or combustibility of the pipe and support materials.
2. Ability of thermal insulation to protect the pipe from fire
3. Susceptibility of the pipe to brittle failure or failure from thermal shock
4. Susceptibility of the piping material to crevice corrosion in stagnant confined
areas or adverse electrolytic effects.
5. Suitability of packing, seals, gaskets, and lubricants or sealant used
6. The refrigerating effect of a sudden loss of pressure on volatile fluids.
(Refer to Ch.E. HB for specific material precautions )

Metallic Pipe System:

Carbon Steel and Stainless Steel - most widely used and the most completely
covered system under national standards such as ANSI and API.

Two (2) main classes of Pipe and tubing:

a. Seamless -refer to a pipe made by forging a solid round, piercing it
by simultaneously rotating and forcing it over a piercer point and
further reducing it by rolling and drawing.
-has the same psi strength throughout the wall and can be
made by extrusion, forging or boring.
b. Welded -made from rolled strips formed into cylinders and seam-
welded by various methods

(Please refer Ch.E HB for Standard size and wall-thickness combinations together
with capacity and weight.)
Different type of pipe joints:
1.Welded joints
a. butt-weld b. socket weld c. Branch weld
2. Threaded joints
a. taper-pipe b. Straight-pipe
3. Flange joints
(Refer to Ch.E. HB for other joints system)

Bends and Fittings

1. Elbows 2.Tees 3.Reducers
Valves:
1. Gate 2. Globe 3. Diaphragm 4. Plug cocks
5. Ball 6. Butterfly 7. Swing check 8. Lift check
9. Tilting-disk check 10. Angle

Other metallic piping :

1. Cast iron, ductile iron and high silicon iron
2. Aluminum
3. Copper and copper alloys
4. Magnesium
5. Nickel and its alloys
6. Titanium and Zirconium

Non-metallic pipe
1. Asbestos cement
2. Impervious graphite
3. Concrete
4. Glass
5. Etc.

Piping-System Design

General design consideration:

1. Choice of material and sizes
2. Effects of temperature level and temperature changes
a. insulation b. thermal expansion c. freezing
3. Flexibility of the system for physical and thermal shock
4. Adequate support and anchorage
5. Alteration in the system and service
6. Ease of installation
7. Maintenance and inspection
8. Auxiliary or stand-by pumps and lines
9. Safety
a. Design factors b. Relief valve and flare system

Design Equations:

Schedule Number - specification of pipes according to wall thickness as

designated by ASA.
𝐏
𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐍𝐨. = 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎 ( 𝐬)
𝐒𝐬
Where:
for temperature up to 250 oF
Ss = 9000 psi (lap –welded steel pipe)
= 6500 psi (butt-welded steel pipe)
Ps = safe working pressure
 Please refer to Ch.E HB (6th Ed.) P 6-80 for Ss values at different
temperatures and different material of construction.

10 Schedule numbers commonly used :

10 20 30 40 60 80 100 120 140 160

For pipe diameter up to 10”, Schedule 40 (Std. Pipe)

Schedule 80 (Extra-strong pipe)

*Wall Thickness (gage) - specified as “minimum” or “Average”

*Nominal Pipe Diameter - approximate diameter of the pipe
*Birmingham Wire Gauge (BWG) – standard tubing system for wall thickness
specification
General Piping Design Equation:

Pipe Sizing Equation:

English System:
Refer to p. 496 Peters and Timmerhaus (4th Ed.)for rule of thumb on pipe sizing).

For pipe under ordinary plant condition ,

 For turbulent flow (NRe > 2100) in steel pipes
𝐃𝐢 𝐨𝐩𝐭 = 𝟑. 𝟗𝐪𝐟 𝟎.𝟒𝟓 𝛒𝐟 𝟎.𝟏𝟑 (𝐃𝐢 𝐨𝐩𝐭 ≥ 𝟏 𝐢𝐧. )
𝐃𝐢 𝐨𝐩𝐭 = 𝟒. 𝟕𝐪𝐟 𝟎.𝟒𝟗 𝛒𝐟 𝟎.𝟏𝟒 (𝐃𝐢 𝐨𝐩𝐭 < 𝟏 𝐢𝐧. )

 For viscous flow (NRe < 2100) in steel pipes

𝐃𝐢 𝐨𝐩𝐭 = 𝟑. 𝟎𝐪𝐟 𝟎.𝟑𝟔 𝛍𝐟 𝟎.𝟏𝟖 (𝐃𝐢 𝐨𝐩𝐭 ≥ 𝟏 𝐢𝐧. )
𝐃𝐢 𝐨𝐩𝐭 = 𝟑. 𝟔𝐪𝐟 𝟎.𝟒𝟎 𝛍𝐟 𝟎.𝟐𝟎 (𝐃𝐢 𝐨𝐩𝐭 < 𝟏 𝐢𝐧. )

Where: 𝐃𝐢 𝐨𝐩𝐭 = inside pipe diameter in inches

𝐪𝐟 = fluid flow rate , ft3/s
𝛒𝐟 = fluid density, lb / ft3
𝛍𝐟 = fluid viscosity, centipoise

Metric System:
Refer to p. 404 Peters & Timmerhaus (5th Edition)
For pipe under ordinary plant condition ,
 For turbulent flow (NRe > 2100) in steel pipes
𝐃𝐢 𝐨𝐩𝐭 = 𝟎. 𝟑𝟔𝟑 𝐪𝐟 𝟎.𝟒𝟓 𝛒𝐟 𝟎.𝟏𝟑 (𝐃𝐢 𝐨𝐩𝐭 ≥ 𝟐𝟓. 𝟒 𝐦𝐦)
𝐃𝐢 𝐨𝐩𝐭 = 𝟎. 𝟒𝟗 𝐪𝐟 𝟎.𝟒𝟗 𝛒𝐟 𝟎.𝟏𝟒 (𝐃𝐢 𝐨𝐩𝐭 < 𝟐𝟓. 𝟒 𝐦𝐦)

 For viscous flow (NRe < 2100) in steel pipes

𝐃𝐢 𝐨𝐩𝐭 = 𝟎. 𝟖𝟔𝟑 𝐪𝐟 𝟎.𝟑𝟔 𝛍𝐟 𝟎.𝟏𝟖 (𝐃𝐢 𝐨𝐩𝐭 ≥ 𝟐𝟓. 𝟒 𝐦𝐦)
𝐃𝐢 𝐨𝐩𝐭 = 𝟏. 𝟑𝟑 𝐪𝐟 𝟎.𝟒𝟎 𝛍𝐟 𝟎.𝟐𝟎 (𝐃𝐢 𝐨𝐩𝐭 < 𝟐𝟓. 𝟒 𝐦𝐦)
Where: 𝐃𝐢 𝐨𝐩𝐭 = inside pipe diameter, in meter
𝐪𝐟 = fluid flow rate , m3/s
𝛒𝐟 = fluid density, kg / m3
𝛍𝐟 = fluid viscosity, Pa ∙ sec
Piping Design Equation:

A. For seamless Pipe Specification,

𝟐 𝐒𝐰 𝐭 𝐦 𝐩𝐬 𝐃𝐦
𝐏𝐬 = → 𝐭𝐰 =
𝐃𝐦 𝟐𝐒𝐰

Where: ps = maximum⁄safe working pressure

Ss - safe working stress
t w - minimum wall thickness
Dm – nominal / average diameter
*Note:
 This method of calculating transverse tensile stress due to internal pressure on the pipe is
the “Barlow formula”.
 This method is based on the assumption that maximum stress occurs at the outside diameter
of the pipe. The results give a conservative value for safety factor calculations.

B. Welded Pipe Specification:

 ASA Code for Pressure Piping, Sec. 3B (API specification of steel seamless
pipe)
𝐩𝐃
𝐭𝐰 = +𝐮+𝐜
𝟐(𝐒𝐰 + 𝐘𝐩)
where:
t w = minimum wall thickness, in
p = maximum allowable working pressure, psi
D = outside diameter, in
Sw = allowable working stress, psi
Y = piping coefficient ≈ 0.40 (refer to table below for other values)
u = under-thickness tolerance = 12.5 % of t
c = allowance for threading, mechanical strength and corrosion, in ≈ 0.05 in

𝟏. 𝟕𝟓 𝐒𝐰 (𝐭 𝐰 − 𝟎. 𝟎𝟓𝟕)
𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐩=
𝐃 + 𝟎. 𝟎𝟒 − 𝟎. 𝟕 𝐭
Values of Coefficient (Y):
Allowable Working Stress 𝑺𝒘 :

API Pipe Specification 𝐒𝐰

API 5L Grade A 25,500 psi
API 5L Grade B 29,750 psi
API 5LX Grade X-42 35,700 psi
From Ch. E HB 7th Edition
𝒊𝒏 ℉
𝒊𝒏 ℉

𝒊𝒏 ℉
𝒊𝒏 ℉
Example 1:
Find the wall stress due to internal pressure in 24-inch pipeline having a 1/4 –inch wall thickness
if the pressure gauge reads 800 psi
Solution:
Assume seamless pipe,
𝟐 𝐒𝐰 𝐭 𝐦
𝐏𝐬 =
𝐃𝐦

Ps Dm 800 psi (24 inches)

Sw = = = 38,400 psi
2t m 2(0.25 inch)

Example 2:
What wall thickness should be specified for a 30-inch discharge line where pressure runs 1000 psi
and the wall stress is to be limited to 30,000 psi.
Solution:
Assume seamless pipe,
𝟐 𝐒𝐰 𝐭 𝐦
𝐏𝐬 =
𝐃𝐦
Ps Dm 1000 psi (30 inches)
tm = = = 0.5 inch
2Sw 2(30,000 psi)
Example 3:
Determine the pipe specification for a 12-in line operating at 1,078 psi
Using
API Pipe Specification 𝐒𝐰
API 5L Grade A 25,500 psi
API 5L Grade B 29,750 psi
API 5LX Grade X-42 35,700 psi

Using API 5LX Grade X-42,

pD
t= +u+c
2(Sw + YP)
1078 psi (12.75)
t= + .125t + 0.05in
2[35,700 psi + 0.4(1078)]
t = 0.275 in
Recommend Schedule 30 and wall thickness of 0.33 inch
 Using API 5L Grade A
pD
t= +u+c
2(Sw + YP)
1078 psi (12.75)
t= + .125t + 0.05in
2[25,500 psi + 0.4(1078)]
t = 0.36 in
Recommend Schedule ST , 40S and wall thickness of 0.375 inch

READ:
Examination, inpection and testing of Piping system
(Please read and refer to Ch. E HB)

Other Piping design equation:

Ch.E HB Piping Design Equation (Equation 10-92 p. 10-103, 7th Ed.)

For straight pipe under internal pressure,

𝐩𝐃𝐨
𝐭𝐦 = +𝐂
𝟐(𝐒𝐄 + 𝐩𝐘)
where: p = design pressure
Do = outside diameter of pipe
C = allowance for corrosion, erosion or any thread
= 1/64 inch when no tolerance is specified
S = allowable stress (See Table 10-49)
*S = basic allowable stress for materials
*E = one or product of different quality factors
= (Ec) (Ej) (Es)
= (See Table 10-49)
Ec = casting factor (a function of temp.)
Ej = joint factor (Table 10-164)
Es = 0.92 for structural-grade factor
Y = coefficient having value in T10-50 for ductile ferrous, 0.4 for
ductile nonferrous metal and zero for cast iron/brittle materials
tm = minimum required thickness