WRITTEN TEST

PROCESS ENGINEER POSITION

(7+ years experiences)

ANSWER – Part 1
Problem solution number 1. Determining the specs break.

Initial knowledge you need to know:

You have to remember the ANSI pressure-temperature class rating, at least the yellow marked below.
Assume material is carbon steel class 1.1 as per ASME B16.5 with Maximum temp is 300 – 400 F.

Temp, 0F MAWP
150 300 400 600 900 1500 2500
-20 to 100 285 740 990 1480 2220 3705 6170
200 260 675 900 1350 2025 3375 5625
300 230 655 875 1315 1970 3280 5470
400 635 745 1270 1900 3170 5280

Another knowledge you need to know is, how to develop specs break. Herewith to refresh what
assumption has to be made in designing specs break:

1. Check valve is always passing or fail open/close in such so there is possibility a blockage fluid flow
from higher to lower pressure system.
2. Control valve, include self-contain regulator, may open or close, in such so that create a condition
that there is a part of pipe may contain of a maximum-pressure fluid.
3. Manual valve may open or close, that may support the occurrence of high pressure condition.
Lock open or lock close valve should keep valve position as is, if locking management is robust.
Process Hazard Analysis shall be done to assess whether this type of protection is acceptable. For
this application – it is recommended not to be taken into account (for determining specs break)
as valve passing is common phenomena in production facility.
4. Pressure Safety High (PSH) is assumed will not provide adequate protection, with HIPPS mode as
exception. However, HIPPS type selection shall follow thorough review, including reviewing other
alternative.
5. Pressure Safety Valve and Rupture disk are assumed always work. Designed case for PSV or RD is
block discharge case.

Now we ready to develop specs break.

We start from PT setting – set at 290 psig. The downstream facility pressure rating should higher than 290
psig, and it won’t be ANSI 150# (285 psig). Minimum is ANSI 300# (740 psig). This valid for upstream
compressor up to downstream of PCV/Anti-surge valve. Note: Upstream/downstream here means in
context of flow direction.
Specs break is also will be implemented on downstream of LCVs and BDV as fluid will go to the lower
pressure system. In here, we down from higher pressure rating to ANSI 150#. For 2 LCVs – the specs break
would be from ANSI 300# to ANSI 150#. For BDV? Will be answered later on.

If we go through along the line from outlet suction scrubber to suction of the compressor, specs break
should also apply from ANSI 300# to MAWP of the compressor – say 2000 psig. On discharge side, specs
break is applied again - from compressor’s MAWP (2000 psig) to X ANSI rating. How to determine this X
ANSI rating?

By logic – it should be higher than ANSI 300#, it could be either ANSI 400 (990 psig) or ANSI 600 (1480
psig).

There are two clue to determine this thing. First is information about cooler’s MAWP (which is 1000 psig)
and secondly from compressor maximum discharge pressure (which is 1100 psig). So, the right decision is
to select ANSI 600.

Therefore, on compressor casing outlet, there will be specs break between compressor MAWP (2000 psig)
and ANSI 600#. This ANSI 600# will be apply along the discharge side to export line and further, up to BDV,
and up to anti-surge valve.

For BDV – the specs break will be from ANSI 600# to ANSI 150#

For anti-surge valve – the specs break will be from ANSI 600# to ANSI 300#.

What else? On PSV and PCV outlet.

All PSVs and PCV outlet ANSI rating would be ANSI 150# as all fluid from those instrumentation goes to
the flare system, which is lower pressure system.