SOME TIPS FOR MECHANICAL ENGINEER (PIPING)

SL No # Question Answer
1 Responsibility of Piping Engineer Efficency, Analytical vision and timely decision.
1) Product ( Process), 2) Utility ( Steam, Air, N2, water, IA, Plant Air ), 3)Fire Fighting system, 4) sever
2 Types of piping
System, 5) OWS ( Oil Water Sewage ), 6) Storm Water and 7) Cross - country.
Equipment Layout, P&ID, Equipment drawings ( ENG DRG), Foundation, Pump Drawings, Compressor
3 Input for piping Drawings, Packages, Turbine, Input data ( C.V, PSV), Inline equipment ( Filters, Sample cooler,
seperators), Special requirement ( Instrument Installation).
1) Piping Element( STD, Fittings ), 2) Piping material specification, 3) valve material specification 4)
4 Data for piping
Support standards.
1) foundation 2) Soil condition ( For excavation) 3) Underground Standards ( Covering of Soil 1100 MM (
Min), Crane Movement for load consideration, Normal movement, rail movement( Culvert/casing), Road
5 Requirements for Underground (U/G) piping
crossing 4) sizing 5) Invoirmental requirement ( Contamenanted Rain water sewage ( CRWS), Maximum
rain fall, Maximum fire case.

1) Every 25M - 30M ------- Scheled PIT, 2) Change of direction ----- PIT, 3) Every 30M Clean out area, 4)
6 Major Points for Underground All flange connection in PIT, 5) End Flang connection in PIT, 6) valve are place in PIT, 7) all manhole/
PIT to ATM ----3M above any platform in 8m Radius.

1) CW ( Cooling Water), 2) CBD ( Closed Blow down), 3) Fire Water, 4) OWS ( Oil water Sewage), 5)
7 General underground services
CRWS ( Contimanated rain Water Sewage), 6) Condensate, 7) Drinking water, 8) Chemical drain.

1) Nozzel orientation Tray orientation), 2) Location of Downword line, 3) Supporting. Please note that a)
8 Piping around Column
column is supporting also b) we can provide expansion on 6M - 6M normally( Depends upon process)

1) every 25M - 30M length we have to provide "TRAP", 2) TRAP shall be provided on lower points
9 Steam Piping
always.

1) Thermo dynamics ( Always functioning steam condensate ) , 2) Thermo Static, Note: Who is transfer
10 Types of TRAP's
line -------- slurry is also a transfer line or FCU, CDU, VDU.
11 Jacketing Jacketing required only at constant temp. services.
12 Sream tracing Steam tracing required on variable temp.
 1) Normally 3" above we can used cement line pipe, below 3" not required.2) in line pipe all flange fitting,
13 Cement line pipe 3) Valve are FRP coating, 4) Line thickness normally 100MM or 125MM, 5) Thickness started from 5MM
to 125MM.
14 PIPE SUPPORT
A) Objective of Supports 1) Deflection, 2) Bending Stress, 3) Load carrying capacity, 4) Leak at joints, 5) Resonance, 6) Thrust

a) Based on direction ( Vertical, Axial, Lateral), b) Based on construction ( 1) Rigid Support ---- hanger
B) Types of Supports support. 2) Adjustable support ( adjustable support shall be provided near Pump suction) 3)
Elastic/spring support ( Varriable, constant ) we shall used for reactor and seperator.)

C) Function of Support 1) Dead weight 2) Thermal condition and thermal expansion, 3) Vibration 4) Impact load.
1) Vertical restriction -------------- Simple resting support, 2) Lateral restriction ----------- Guide support, 3)
D) Used of supports Axial direction restriction ------------------ Axial stop, cross guide, line stop, 4) Apply all restriction -------
Anchor support
15 SUPPORT SPAN DESIGN
Support spacing is governed by bending stress and deflection. Bending stress should not exceed one
Support spacing
half of basic allawable stress and deflection should not exceed 25mm (1") , 1/4 of pipe diameter.

SA = f ( 1.25 SC + 0.25 Sh ), where SA = Allawable stress reduction, f = stress range reduction factor,
Stress Range
SC = Minimum allawable stress at cold condition, Sh = Minimum allawable stress at hot condition.

Thickness ( t ) = Pdo/2(SE+Pgama), where Do = O.D of Pipe, S = allawable stress at design temp, E=

Joint efficency, P = Pressure ( Internal design), Gamma = Cofficent by code = 0.4) as per ANSI B 31.3.
Pipe Thickness calculation
please note that value of E = 1 for seam less or ERW pipe, 0.9 for welded pipe upto 22 MM THK, 0.85
for welded pipe for 22mm thk - 29mm thk, 0.80 for welded pipe above 29 mm thk.

1) Pressure, 2) Fluid expansion, 3) Atmospheric condition Wind Load, Earth quack, impact loading,
Points for design
vibration, distance reaction, thermal expansion condition, thermal load, weight factor, temp crecteria.

Test Pressure TP = 1.5 X Design Pressure X Allawable stress at amb. Temp/ allawable stress at working temp.

cold spring is the internal deformation of piping during assembly to produce a desired initial
Cold spring displacement and stres. Cold spring is beneficial in that it serves to balance the magnitude displacement
condition.
 Basic Requirement : - Piping system shall have sufficient flaxiblity to prevent thermal expansion or
contraction or movement of piping support and terminals from causing. A) Faliour of piping or supports
16 Piping Flexiblity
from overstress or fatigue.b) leakage at joint, c) Determinal stress or distortion in piping and valves or in
connected equipment (For Example#: Pumps and Turbine )

As the thermal stress may result in problems in following area: 1) Connection between nozzle &
equipment, 2) Pipe stress exceed allawable stress the weld joints faliour may occur. 3) flange joint
17 Why should we do the stress analysis.
failour - we can avoide above by stress analysis and we also do the following 4) Proper support of
piping system, 5) Thermal displacement.

Please note that 1) we should not go beyond the value of allawable stress that has given by
Eqpt/Machinery. 2) Line below 2" size stress analysis not required., 3) Size and temp are caracteria for
considering stress analysis., 4) factor to be consider for stress analysis a) Cold spring b) Dia Nominal
( O.D).

Flexiblity factor = Dy/( L - U ) squre less then equal to K1 -------- if this formulla is following up then no
need to do stress analysis. Where D = OD of pipe ( MM), y = Resultant thermal displacement ( MM), K1
Flexiblity Factor
= 208.3 Units ( SI ), L = Devlope length of Piping between supports ( Anchor) (M), U = Anchor distance,
straight line between Anchor (M).
Anchor Force can subjected to a thrust and pull. The both force can be determine the most sever
Anchor Force
combination of pressure and differential temp.
Software for Stress Analysis 1) CAE Pipe, 2) CEASER II, 3) AUTO pipe, 4) TRIFLEX

1) Isometric drawing ( Including MOC, Distance between support, Temp, pressure) 2) equipment
drawing, 3) Line list, 4) There tolerance, 5) Weight of Piping Compact, 6) Allawable stress, 7) Piping
Input required for stress analysis
Layout. Note : 100 degree c and 4" above stress analysis to be done, 10" above at any temp. stress
analysis to be done. and in respect of Pump, Compressor, Turbine stress analysis to be done.

ANSI 31.1 - Power piping code, ANSI 31.3 - Refinery piping code, ANSI 31.4 - Liquid Transportation
Standards system for hydrocarbon liquid petrolium, ANSI 31.5 - Refrigeration Piping, ANSI 31.8 - Gas Transmission
and distribution piping and ANSI 31.11 - Slurry transportation piping system.

APPLICATION OF PIPING
Non acidic water, oily water, size 4" and larger, below and above ground and in building when plastic
A) Cement lined Steel Pipe & Fitting
pipe are not permitted.
 B) 90/10 Copper nickel Pipe & Fittings Sea water and fire water up to 4" size.
C) PVC Pipe & fittings Any water except fire water up to 49 degree C below ground.
D) CPVC Pipe & fittings Hot water up to 93 degree C.

E) RTR Pipe & Fitting Any water including buried fire water. Except oily water recommended for sainatory and sewers water.

F) Copper tube & fittings Small Dia pipe for water main to and inside building except fire water.
Overall plot plan, tentative layout, local area report (wind direction, north according to plant, soil report,
18 Layout of plant grading, rain fall, high flad level, bench mark, control map ), P&ID, Equipment data sheet, cods and
design basis.
19 Road around the plant the distance between plant and road shall be 15 M or 7M ( Approx)
At the time of installation of plant the Nozzles orientation, maintanance, movement, ease of eraction, movement of crane jack, minum cost of
20
following itmes shall be first considered. pipe.
Process requirement ( Interdistance as per P&ID), Economy, Errection and construction requirement,
21 Development of Equipment layout safety requirement, operation and maintanace, similar equipment grouping, interconnection of PLT
( U/G, CRWS, OWS, CBD)
22 Distance between two exchanger 4.5M or 5M not less than 3M.
A group of general rules or systematic procedure for design, fabrication, installation and inspection
23 CODE
prepared in such a manner that it can be adopted by legal jurisdiction and made in to law.
Documents prepared by a professional group or committee which are belived to be good and propar
24 STANDARED
engineering practice and which contain mandatory requirements.
A hose tower is the actual steel construction in which all components are installed, which are necessary
Hose Tower to control loading arm and knuckle boom crane. The hose tower has got several decks with their own
elevation which are to be entered from the staircase at the side of the tower.

A hose tower arm is the actual connection between the rigid piping on shore and manifold connection on
the Tanker (Ship). Due to the end connection by means of a hose, the ship can move in all direction over
HLA
a given distance depending on the slack in the hose which has been given by the operator. This slack
can vary by controlling the hose arm in up and down ward direction.

A marine loading arm is just like the HLA, The actual connection between the ridged piping on shore and
the manifold connection on the tanker. The MLA doesn’t need it’s supporting frame (hose Tower) due to
MLA
the geometry of the MLA. The MLA is self supporting upon the jetty deck, with a relativity small base so
that the required amount of space can be limited.
Pumps Cetrifugal Pump- High Flow
Pumps Reciprocation Pump- High Pressure
Pumps Centrifigual Compressure- Gas is moving thru
Pumps Screw Compressor- Gas is moving thru screw