VALVES IN PIPING DESIGN

Valves are used for these purposes:

1) Process control during operation 2) Controlling services and utilities-steam, water, air, gas and oil 3) Isolating equipment or instruments, for maintenance 4) Disc arging gas, vapor or liquid !) Draining piping and equipment on s utdown ") #mergenc$ s utdown in t e event of plant mis ap or fire

WHICH SIZE VALVE TO

SE!

%earl$ all valves will &e line si'e ( one e)ception is control valves, w ic are usuall$ one or two si'es smaller t an line si'e* never larger+ ,t control stations and pumps it as &een almost traditional to use line-si'e isolating valves+ -owever, some companies are now using isolating valves at control stations t e same si'e as t e control valve, and at pumps are using .pump si'e/ isolating valves at suction and disc arge+ 0 e c oice is usuall$ an economic one made &$ a pro1ect engineer+ 0 e si'es of &$pass valves for control stations are given in "+1+4, under .Control 2valve) stations/+

WHE"E TO PLACE VALVES

3ee "+3+1 for valving pumps, under .Pump emplacement 4 connections/+ Prefera&l$, place valves in lines from eaders 2on piperac5s) in ori'ontal rat er t an vertical runs, so t at lines can drain w en t e valves are closed+ 2In cold climates, water eld in lines ma$ free'e and rupture t e piping6 suc lines s ould &e traced ( see "+7+2) 0o avoid spooling unnecessar$ lengt s of pipe, mount valves directl$ onto flanged equipment, if t e flange is correctl$ pressure-rated+ 3ee "+!+1 under .%o''le loading/ , relief valve t at disc arges into a eader s ould &e placed ig er t an t e eader in order to drain into it+ 8ocate eav$ valves near suita&le support points+ 9langes s ould &e not closer t an 12 inc es to t e nearest support, so t at installation is not ampered 9or appearance, if practica&le, 5eep centerlines of valves at t e same floor, and in-line on plan view eig t a&ove

OPE"ATING ACCESS TO VALVES

Consider frequenc$ of operation w en locating manuall$-operated valves 8ocate frequentl$-operated valves so t e$ are accessi&le to an operator from grade or platform+ ,&ove t is eig t and up to 2: ft, use c ain operators or e)tension stem+ ;ver 2: ft, consider a platform or remote

VALVE OPE"ATING HEIGHTS #

Infrequentl$-used valves can &e reac ed &$ a ladder ( &ut consider alternatives Do not locate valves on piperac5s, unless unavoida&le <roup valves w ic would &e out or reac so t at all can &e operated &$ providing a platform, if automatic operators are not used If a c ain is used on a ori'ontall$ mounted valve, ta5e t e &ottom of t e loop to wit in 3 ft of floor level for safet$, and provide a oo5 near &$ to old t e c ain out of t e wa$ ( see 3+1+2, under .C ain/ Do not use c ain operators on screwed valves, or on an$ valve 1= inc es and smaller >it lines andling dangerous materials it is &etter to place valves at a suita&l$ low level a&ove grade, floor, platform, etc+, so t at t e operator does not ave to reac a&ove ead eig t

ACCESS TO VALVES IN HAZA"DO S A"EAS

8ocate main isolating valves w ere t e$ can &e reac ed in an emergenc$ suc as an out&rea5 of fire mis ap+ ?a5e sure t at personnel will &e a&le to reac valves easil$ &$ wal5wa$ or automo&ile 8ocate manuall$-operated valves at t e plant perimeter, or outside t e a'ardous area #nsure t at automatic operators and t eir control lines will &e protected from t e effects of fire ?a5e use of &ric5 or concrete walls as possi&le fire s ields for valve stations Inside a plant, place isolating valves in accessi&le positions to s ut feed lines for equipment and processes aving a fire ris5 Consider t e use of automatic valves in fire-fig ting s$stems to release water, foam and ot er fire-fig ting agents, responding to eat-fusi&le lin5s, smo5e detectors etc+, triggered &$ fire or undue rise in temperature+

$A%E $AINTENANCE SI$PLE

Provide access for mo&ile lifting equipment to andle eav$ valves Consider providing lifting davits for access is restricted eav$ valves difficult to move &$ ot er means if

If possi&le, arrange valves so t at supports will not &e on remova&le spools6 , plug valve requiring lu&rication must &e easil$ accessi&le, even t oug it ma$ not &e frequentl$ operated+

$A%E $AINTENANCE SA&E

@se line-&lind valves, spectacle plates or t e .dou&le &loc5 and &leed/ w ere positive s utoff is required eit er for maintenance or process needs ( see 2+A

O"IENTATION O& VALVE STE$S

Do not point valve stems into wal5wa$s, truc5wa$s, ladder space, etc+ @nless necessar$, do not arrange gate and glo&e valves wit downward 2at an$ angle &elow t e ori'ontal), as61) 2) t eir stems pointing

3ediment ma$ collect in t e gland pac5ing and score t e stem+ , pro1ecting stem ma$ &e a a'ard to personnel+ If an inverted position is necessar$, consider emplo$ing a drips ield6

CLOSING DOWN LINES

Consider valve closing time in s utting down or t rottling large lines+ Bapid closure of t e valve requires rapid dissipation of t e liquid/s 5inetic energ$, wit a ris5 of rupturing t e line+ 8ong distance pipelines present an e)ample of t is pro&lem+ , liquid line fitted wit a fast-closing valve s ould &e provided wit a stand pipe upstream and close to t e valve to a&sor& t e 5inetic energ$ of t e liquid+ , standpipe is a closed vertical &ranc on a line6 air or ot er gas is trapped in t is &ranc to form a pneumatic cus ion+

I& THE"E IS NO P ' ID

Provide valves at eaders, pumps, equipment, etc+, to ensure t at t e s$stem will &e pressure tig t for $drostatic testing and to allow equipment to &e removed for maintenance wit out s utting down t e s$stem Provide isolating valves in all small lines &ranc ing from figure "+12 eaders(for e)ample, see

Provide isolating valves at all instrument pressure points for removal of instruments under operating conditions Provide valved drains on all tan5s, vessels, etc+, and ot er equipment w ic ma$ contain or collect liquids Protect sensitive equipment &$ using a fast-closing c ec5 valve to stop &ac5flow &efore it can gat er momentum Consider &utt-welding or ring-1oint flanged valves for lines containing .searc ing/ fluids+ -$drogen is especiall$ lia&le to lea5 a'ardous or

Consider seal welding screwed valves if used in $drocar&on service see c art 2+3 2inset s5etc ) Provide sufficient valves to control flows Consider providing a concrete pit 2usuall$ a&out 4 ft ) 4 ft) for a valve w ic is to &e located &elow grade Consider use of temporar$ closures for positive s utoff-see 2+A Provide a &$pass if necessar$ for equipment w ic ma$ &e ta5en out of service Provide a &$pass valve around control stations if continuous flow is required+ 3ee "+1+4 and figure "+"+ 0 e &$pass s ould &e at least as large as t e control valve, and is usuall$ glo&e t$pe, unless " inc or larger, w en a gate valve is normall$ used 2see 3+1+4, under .<ate valve/) Provide an upstream isolating valve wit a small valved &$pass to equipment w ic ma$ &e su&1ect to fracture if eat is too rapidl$ applied on opening t e solating valve+ 0$pical use is in steam s$stems to lessen t e ris5 of fracture of suc t ings as castings, vitreous-lined vessels, etc+ Consider providing large gate valves wit a valved &$pass to equali'e pressure on eit er side of t e disc to reduce effort needed to open t e valve

CONT"OL (VALVE) STATIONS

, control station is an arrangement of piping in w ic a control valve is used to reduce and regulate t e pressure or rate of flow of steam, gas, or liquid+ Control stations s ould &e designed so t at t e control valve can &e isolated and removed for servicing+ 0o facilitate t is, t e piping of t e stations s ould &e as fle)i&le as circumstances permit+ 9igure "+! s ows wa$s of permitting control valve removal in welded or screwed s$stems+ 9igure "+" s ows t e &asic arrangement for control station piping+

0 e two isolating valves permit servicing of t e control valve+ 0 e emergenc$ &$pass valve is used for manual regulation if t e control valve is out of action+ 0 e &$pass valve is usuall$ a glo&e valve of t e same si'e and pressure rating as t e control valve+ 9or manual regulation in lines " inc and larger, a gate valve is often t e more economic c oice for t e &$pass line-refer to 3+1+4, under .<ate valve/+ 9igures "+A-11 s ow ot er wa$s of arranging control stations-man$ more designs t an t ese are possi&le+ 0 ese illustrations are all sc ematic and can &e adapted to &ot welded and screwed s$stems+

DESIGN POINTS
9or &est control, place t e control station close to t e equipment it serves, and locate it at grade or operating platform level Provide a pressure-gage connection downstream of t e station/s valves+ Depending on t e operation of t e plant, t is connection ma$ eit er &e fitted wit a permanent pressure indicating gage, or &e used to attac a gage temporaril$ 2for c ec5ing purposes) Prefera&l$, do not .sandwic / valves+ Place at least one of t e isolating valves in a vertical line so t at a spool can &e ta5en out allowing t e control valve to &e removed If t e equipment and piping downstream of t e station is of lower pressure rating t an piping upstream, it ma$ &e necessar$ to protect t e downstream s$stem wit a pressure relief valve Provide a valved drain near to and upstream of t e control valve+ 0o save space, t e drain is placed on t e reducer+ 0 e drain valve allows pressure &etween t e isolating valve2s) and control valve to &e released+ ;ne drain is used if t e control valve fails open, and two drains 2one eac side of t e control valve) if t e control valve fails closed 8ocate stations in rac5 piping at grade, ne)t to a &ent or column for eas$ supporting+

TILIT* STATIONS
, utilit$ station usuall$ comprises t ree service lines carr$ing steam, compressed air and water+ 0 e steam line is normall$ C inc minimum, and t e ot er two services are usuall$ carried in 1 inc lines+ 0 ese services are for cleaning local equipment and osing floors+ 29irewater is ta5en from points fed from an independent water suppl$+) 0 e steam line is fitted wit a glo&e valve and t e air and water lines wit gate valve+ ,ll are terminated wit ose connections a&out 3= ft a&ove floor or grade+ , utilit$ station s ould &e located at some convenient steel column for supporting, and all areas it is to serve s ould &e reac a&le wit a !: ft ose+