Typical Questions For Piping Engineers Knowledge Testing (With Answers)

. Note: Each answer will appear to be wrong to some readers and right to others. Some questions will have what seems to be an absolute right answer. Others will not. So if you have got any good answer for below questions, leave us a comment. Find more details see at the end of article. . !an you e"plain in detail three or more ma#or differences between code $NS% &' . and code $NS% &' .'( $nswer: )here is only one ma#or difference between the two, &' . is for *ower *iping and &' .' is for +efinery,!hemical *lant *iping. -. )here is a power plant inside a *rocess refinery. .here e"actly the $NS% &' . / $NS% &' .' scope brea0 occurs( $nswer: &ased on my e"perience there were two cases. !ase 1 , &' . stopped at the *ower *lant 2nit bloc0 valves. )hus all piping inside the *ower *lant was &' . . !ase 1-, &' . stopped at the equipment 3&oiler4 isolation bloc0 valves and then all other piping was &' .'. )his is normally the choice of the owner,operator,client. '. .hich of the following piping system is more health ha5ardous( $4 Fuel oil piping b4 *rocess piping with !austic c4 process piping with 6F acid d4 Sulphuric acid piping. $nswer: c4 process piping with 6F acid 7. )here is a steam piping with low poc0et but without steam trap. .hat will be worst consequence of this layout( $nswer: )here will be a buildup of condensate to the point that a slug will be pushed by the steam flow. )his slug of condensate will cause 8water hammer9 and could rip the piping apart. :. %n what circumstance, the reducer of a pump suction piping will be in bottom flat position. E"plain why the reducer should be so. $nswer: .hen reducers are placed in pipe +ac0 they are generally bottom side flat to maintain &O* to facilitate supporting. 3$nswer !redit: Samir ;umar4 <. $ */%= shows a spec brea0 3at Flange4 between carbon steel / stainless steel specification. .hat additional arrangements you have to ma0e for that dissimilar material flange #oint( $nswer: 2se the >as0et and bolts from the SS spec.

?. $ stainless steel piping specification mentions >alvani5ed carbons steel bolts. .hat is your first reaction it this and how do you rectify it( $nswer: %f that is what the Spec call for then that is what % am supposed to use. &ut, % would as0 the *iping @aterial Engineer 3*@E4 why he,she specified galvani5ed bolts. A. 6ow many types of piping specialty items do you 0now( .hy it is called a piping special( .hy not we include them in standard piping specification. $nswer: % could possibly count :B or more depending on the *@E and how the piping material specs were developed. )hey are called them S* items because they are NO) written into the normal *iping @aterial 3Cine !lass4 Specifications. )hey are not included because they are normally of limited use, purchased from a limited product line vendor and are often after thoughts. D. =raw a typical steam trap station layout and e"plain why the e"istence of a byEpass line around the trap is not a good idea, when the condensate is returning to a condensate header( $nswer: 3No drawing4 %t is not advisable to have a bypass around a steam trap because the bloc0 valve could be left open and defeat the purpose of the trap. B. E"plain what is a 8=ouble bloc0 / &leed9 valve( .hy we need a bleed valve( .hen do we use this( $nswer: )he primary purpose of a 8=ouble &loc0 / &leed9 is Safety. 6owever it is not fail safe. )he ne"t better 8Safety9 setEup would be =ouble &loc0 Falve with a Spec &lind between the valves. )he higher level of safety would be double bloc0 valves with a removable spool for absolute isolation. . %n a typical tieEin where should the spectacle blind be inserted( a4 after bloc0 valve and towards e"isting plant b4 before bloc0 valve and towards new plant. E"plain why. $nswer: )he Spec &lind shall be placed on the 2nit side of the 2nit &loc0 valves. )his placement allows for the closing of the 2nit isolation bloc0 valve, the unit side is depressured and drained. )hen the spec blind can be installed for isolation of the unit. -. 8Stress intensification factor 3S%F49 .here do we use this( E"plain this term. 6ow many types of these S%FGs e"ist( $nswer: Stress %ntensification Factor 3S%F4 is a multiplier on nominal stress for typically bend and intersection components so that the effect of geometry and welding can be considered in a beam analysis. Stress %ntensification Factors form the basis of most stress analysis of piping systems. $s for the quantity, as0 a Stress Engineer.

'. .hen all design parameters are same, whose thermal e"pansion is higher among the following( $4 !arbon steel b4 Stainless steel c4 =uple" steel d4 !ast %ron e4 >alvani5ed !arbon steel. $nswer: b4 Stainless steel 7. %n a hose station the hose couplings used for water, air / steam should be different type. =o you agree( E"plain your view. $nswer: % agree. %f they are all the same then the hoses can be connected to the wrong services and could result in the in#ury of an operator 3i.e.: thin0ing the hose is connected to water when it is connected to steam4. :. .hat is your view on the usage of @etallic e"pansion #oints( .hen they become necessary and when they could be avoided( $nswer: % do everything % can as a piping designer to avoid the use of all types of e"pansion #oints. E"pansion #oints are always the wea0est point in any system where they are used. <. $ water cooler heat e"changer, located on a -B m high structural platform. .ater header is located u,g. .hat precaution do you ta0e, in case of *ressure loss in cooling water header( $nswer: % do not understand this question it does not appear to be a piping issue. % would assume that the cooling water system has a 3loss of4 pressure sensor and the plant shutEdown alarms and sequence would be activated. ?. %n what order do you arrange the pipes in the *ipe rac0 and why( 6ow much H of area should be reserved for Future e"pansion( Specify a range. $nswer: )he largest hottest lines on the outside edge of the pipe rac0 wor0ing in with cooler lines in towards the middle of the rac0. )his allows the longer loop legs as you lay the loops bac0 over the other lines to the other side of the rac0 and bac0. )he lower temperature loops would be 8nested9 inside the larger, hotter loops. 8Future rac0 space9 is normally at the direction of the !lient. %t may be anything from BH to as much as -:H. A. .hen a utility line 3li0e condensate or water etc4 is connected permanently to a process piping what precaution we have to ta0e to avoid cross contamination( $nswer: Option 1 , double bloc0 valve with a dropEout spool. Option 1-, =ouble bloc0 valve with a spec blind. Option 1', double bloc0 valves with a bleed valve.

D. $ air fin cooler 3- air coolers with each having - inlet no55les4 needs a )ypical piping arrangement. 6ow many types of piping arrangement is possible. $nswer: )here are a number of ways to pipe a FinEFan cooler depending on what the */%= call for( )han0s to 3for the answers4 Mahathir Che Ap Piping !"M#$$shore esigner

Still some answers are not so much satisfactory with total e"planation, so if any of you does not agree with any of the above answers, give me feedbac0 by leaving comments on this article or mail me the answers at an0itIpipingguide.net .hen i would receive the answers from any source, i would publish it here / would update the article accordingly