Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Revision 1
Applicability Sharjah, Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi & Jakarta
Document Type Guidelines
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CONTENTS
1.0 PURPOSE....................................................................................................4
3.0 DEFINITIONS................................................................................................4
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7.0 RECORDS.................................................................................................. 21
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1.0 PURPOSE
The purpose of this document is to provide a guideline for plant line sizing.
2.0 SCOPE
Plant lines are pipe segments within the plant whether onshore or offshore facilities. Plant Line
sizing is usually done with respect to pressure drop and velocity criteria. Engineering judgment can
be used when selecting line sizes based on past experience of similar facilities.
This document describes the line sizing criteria for both single phase (Gas or Liquid) and two phase
flow of fluids.
If project specific line sizing criteria is available in FEED documents or Licensor package the
recommendations from these documents will be followed for sizing. This document provides
description of the various considerations for Line size and the criteria used for designing them. This
guide is applicable to Sharjah, Mumbai,Delhi, Chennai and Jakarta.
If any philosophy described in this document conflicts with any part of the regulation, requirement,
policy or directive name, this document shall be superseded by the regulation, requirement, policy
or directive name.
3.0 DEFINITIONS
This section defines those words, phrases, terms, acronyms, and abbreviations that apply
specifically to the guide
kg kilograms
km kilometers
lb pounds
Le Equivalent Length
LTCS Low Temperature Carbon Steel
m meters
mm millimeters
MAOP Maximum Allowable Operating Pressure
NACE National American Corrosion Engineers
4.0 REFERENCES
Reference 3 - Ludwig, E.E., “Applied Process Design for Chemical and Petrochemical Plants”, Vol. I,
2nd Edition.
Reference 4 - “Recommended Practice for Design and Installation of Offshore Production Platform
Piping Systems”, API RP-14E, 5th Edition, October 1991.
Reference 6 -“Perry’s Chemical Engineers’ Handbook”, Section 2, Physical & Chemical Data, 7th
Edition, McGraw Hill, 1999.
Reference 8 - Shell DEP 20.0010.10-Gen, “Basic Data and Phase Behavior Methods”, April 2003.
Lead Process Engineer is responsible for the Line Sizing system Philosophy.
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6.0 DESCRIPTION
The following sections describe the line sizing methods and criteria applicable in various cases.
Sizing Methods
Single phase line sizing can be done using different correlations for friction factor.
The following roughness coefficients are typically considered for different pipe material:
Pipe Material Roughness (mm)
Carbon steel pipe 0.0457
Carbon steel corroded - pipe) Note-1 0.457
Stainless steel pipe 0.0254
Galvanized Steel 0.13
Plastic 0.005
Brass, Aluminum, Copper 0.03
Liquid Hydraulics
Spreadsheet ( Line Sizing.xls) or preferably Korf hydraulic software shall be used for
estimating pressure drop for single-phase liquid flow.
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Vapor Hydraulics
Spreadsheet (Line Sizing.xls) or preferably Korf hydraulic software shall be used for
estimating pressure drop for single-phase vapour or gas flow.
Two-Phase Hydraulics
The following tools shall be used :
Petrofac in-house Excel spreadsheet Line Sizing.xls
KORF Hydraulic Software
It is recommended that the in-house spreadsheet is used for preliminary sizing of two phase
lines.
Critical two phase lines can be finalized after comparing the results with Korf hydraulic
software. Pipesim shall be used for off-plot and long lines where significant changes in fluid
properties are expected due to change in pressure and temperature.
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For a specific duty, line sizing criteria for liquid phase is tabulated below:
RECOMMENDED ALLOWABLE
SERVICE LINE SIZE MAXIMUM PRESSURE DROP
VELOCITY
(m.s-1) MAX.
(bar/100m)
Pump suction, bubble point 3” 1.1 0.045
(Note- 2,5)
4” – 8” 1.4 – 1.8 0.045 to 0.05
( Note-1) ( Note-1)
10” 1.8 0.07
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Notes :
1) Lower limit of velocity and pressure drop corresponds to lower sizes of pipe.
2) Applicable to liquid feeding to thermosiphon reboiler and liquid containing
dissolved gas.
3) Higher velocity can be used in pipe if water quality is good.
4) Unit subcooled liquid lines will be sized similar to pump discharge.
5) Line size must meet the pump NPSH requirement.
6) Higher pressure drop and velocity can be allowed in Alloys/SS lines .
Vapor flow is considered incompressible, when both the following criteria are met:
Vapor velocity is less than 60 m/sec.
Total pressure drop is less than 10% of the initial pressure.
Normal in plant process and utility vapor flows fall in this category and the lines are sized for
isothermal incompressible flow.
Process and utility lines in vapor service (excluding flare, vent, PSV and depressurization lines)
fall in isothermal incompressible flow. These lines can be sized in accordance with the criteria
presented in the following table. The v2 criteria are governed by consideration of vibration
and forces on piping supports. The v3 criteria are governed by consideration of noise levels.
By exceeding these criteria, the energy of the fluid can damage the material (piping, fatigue
of pipe supports, etc.) and personnel in the form of excessive noise.
Line size to be selected based on recommended velocity and allowable pressure drop. Lines
where pressure drop is not critical for compression power, should be sized based on maximum
velocity.
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For a specific duty, line sizing criteria for Gas phase is tabulated below:
SERVICE ALLOWABLE RECOMMENDED RECOMMENDED
PRESSURE DROP MAXIMUM MAXIMUM
VELOCITY v²
MAX. ms-1 (kg.m-1.s-2)
(bar/100m)
Gas ; General (Note- 1,2)
P Atm 0.06 38 or 122/1/2 15,000
Atm < P 7 bar g 0.12 Whichever is
7 < P 70 bar g 0.45 lower
P >70 bar g 0.6% of upstream = density in
pressure kg/m3
Notes :
1) The above indicated line sizing criteria are valid for continuous operation. In
general, the pressure drop should be less than 10 % of the static terminal absolute
pressure for long pipe segments and 5% for short segments. For intermittent
operation, these limits may be exceeded, on a case by case analysis.
2) In addition to these criteria, flowing limitations on a noise point of view have to be
considered (maximum V3 = 200,000 kg.s-3). V3 > 100,000 kg.s-3 may need acoustic
induced vibration analysis. This requirement should be checked.
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When piping pressure drop is between 10% and 40% of the upstream pressure, the application
of compressible or incompressible flow needs to be reviewed case by case. This situation
occurs in relief and blow down lines and long pipelines. For proper sizing criteria of
compressible flow, refer to the section on “Line Sizing Criteria for Flare and Relieving
Devices”.
Adiabatic condition is usually considered for short, well-insulated lines; while flow in long
pipelines approaches isothermal condition. In general, isothermal pressure drop is greater
than or equal to adiabatic pressure drop.
If pressure drop in a pipe segment exceeds 10% of the upstream pressure, pipe shall be divided
into segments to keep pressure drop in each segment below 10% of the upstream pressure (of
each segment). This is usually done using a suitable computer program to account for changes
on the vapor physical properties due to pressure change in the pipeline.
Design Margin
There is inevitably some inaccuracy associated with the line sizing as the design information is
not always exactly the same as actual conditions. Therefore, it is a normal practice to consider
design margin on the theoretical pressure drop calculations.
In instances when there are no project specific requirements, the following design margins
should be used over the “Normal Flow Rate” to obtain the “Design Flow Rate”:
For all process lines: 10%
For intermittent lines used during startup: 5%
For all utility main headers and distribution lines: 20% (or future expansion requirements as
applicable to specific cases shall be considered).
For recirculating flow e.g. heating or hot oil : 25%
For two-phase pressure drop calculations, a 50% design margin on the pressure drop is usually
considered to allow for inherent inaccuracies in the calculation methodology.
For very low pressure systems, margins are individually assessed especially for tank vent
pipework.
Flow Regime
The interaction of the liquid and vapor phases is complex and depending on vapor/liquid ratio,
pipe size, and layout, the fluid flows in differing patterns or flow regimes. Where emulsions
may form, the actual pressure drop may be higher than anticipated as the viscosity of the
continuous phase would increase considerably When phase change is expected, unstable flow
regimes may result in hydraulic and vibration problems.
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Flow regime inside a pipe depends on flow rate and physical properties of gas and liquid phases
as well as the pipe characteristics such as diameter, length and vertical/ horizontal
orientation. These parameters decide the flow regime type i.e., mist flow, stratified flow,
slug flow, etc.
The transition from one flow regime to another is relatively gradual and is depicted in “flow
regime map”. The boundaries shown in flow maps separating the different regimes should not
be interpreted as sharp changes in flow pattern.
The flow maps are generalized by using the gas and liquid Froude numbers based on the feed
pipe velocity and diameter.
The advantage of this general representation is that the flow maps are then unaffected by
variations in flow conditions, physical properties and feed pipe geometry. This means that the
flow maps can be used for a wide range of flow conditions, physical properties and feed pipe
diameters.
The gas and liquid Froude numbers are defined as follows:
G
FrG v G
L G gD
L
FrL vL
L G gD
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Figure-1
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Figure-2
For a two-phase fluid, the mixture density and velocity can be calculated as follows:
ρm = W
WL/ρL + WV /ρV
Vm = W / 3600
(ρm) (πxD2 / 4)
The fluid erosion velocity (the velocity above which erosion may occur) can be determined by
the following empirical equation as per API 14E:
C
Ve
m
For solid free fluids, C= 100 for continuous service and C=125 for intermittent service are
conservative.
For solid-free fluids where corrosion is not anticipated or when corrosion is controlled by
inhibition or by employing corrosion resistant alloys, values of C= 150 -200 may be used for
continuous service. Values upto C=250 have been used successfully for intermittent service.
For SI unit conversion, the empirical constant to be multiplied by 1.22.
Example: If Ve is m/s, ρm in kg/m3 and empirical constant should 122 in the place of 100.
API 14E recommends following:
The fluid velocity must be lower than the erosion velocity.
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If possible the minimum velocity in two phase lines should be about 10 ft/s (3.05
m/s) to minimize the slugging of separation equipment. This is particularly
important in long lines with elevation changes.
If solids production is anticipated fluid velocity should be significantly reduced
from above calculated erosion velocity. Different values of Empirical constant C
may be used for specific applications if such recommendations are appropriate.
As per API 14E, the pressure drop for two phase flow in steel piping may be estimated using a
simplified Darcy equation.
ΔP = 0.000336f W2
ρm di5
Where: ΔP = Pressure Drop, psi/ 100 ft
W = Mixture Flow Rate, lb/hr
f = Moody friction factor, dimensionless
ρm = Apparent Mixture Density at flowing press and temp, lb/ft3
di = pipe inside diameter , inches
The use of above equation should be limited to a 10% pressure drop due to inaccuracies
associated with changes in density.
If the Moody friction factor is assumed to be an average of 0.015 the above equation becomes:
ΔP = 5x10-6 W2
ρm di5
Korf hydraulic software specifies several correlation methods to calculate the 2 phase
pressure drop. They are Duckler method, Lockhart-Martinelli method, Chenoweth- Martin
method etc. Appropriate method should be selected as per pipe geometry and corresponding
method as recommended in Korf manual.
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This section describes sizing criteria for relief valve inlet/outlet lines and depressurization
lines as well as flare and cold vent headers.
Depressurization Devices
Lines upstream or downstream of depressurization devices/blowdown valves shall be sized
based on the calculated depressurization rates for the system and shall be in accordance with
the criteria provided below:
Minimum Line Size 2"
Max V² shall not exceed 200,000 kg/m/s2 Pressure drop criteria do not apply to these
lines, the pressure loss shall be such that it does not impose any restriction on
depressurization objectives.
Velocity shall be limited to 0.8 Mach.
Due to high velocities/V2/V3, Acoustic Induced Vibration analysis may be required.
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105 * k * P
Sonic velocity: C
where:
C Sonic velocity, m/s
k Cp/Cv
P Pressure, bara
Density, kg/m3
Mach no velocity/C
Steam Lines
The following sizing criteria may be used for preliminary pipe sizing of steam lines:
Max ΔP, bar/100 m Recommended
Pressure, barg Max.Velocity
Main Headers Branch Lines
m/sec
Up to 2.0 0.06 0.11 Saturated : 60
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For exhaust steam lines, pressure drop upto 0.33 bar/100 m can be considered.
Condensate Lines
Condensate piping is sized more generously than normal liquid service to provide allowance
for flash steam that is generated.
The condensate lines should also be checked for the startup load and piping shall be sized to
provide adequate pressure drop for traps and control valves in the system, taking into account
for flashing. Steam traps are usually sized for 200 to 300 % of normal flow.
If significant amount of flash is occurring the two phase flow sizing criteria shall be used.
Note: Mixing flashing condensate with sub-cooled condensate can cause a “water hammer”
effect resulting in excessive pipe movement.
Cooling water headers and distribution piping is sized to keep the pressure drop per 100 m of
piping less than 0.44 bar.
Maximum velocity should be limited to 3.0 m/s for 12” and below. For 14” and above,
maximum velocity should be limited to 4.5 m/s.
Velocity restrictions may apply for large cement lined pipes and should be checked with
suppliers. In general, higher pressure drop can be allowed for Corrosion Resistant Alloy (CRA)
lines to reduce cost.
Sizing of fire water lines shall be based on available system pressure and allowable flow
velocities.
In the ring main pipe work, the same sizing criteria as presented for “Cooling Water/Sea Water
Lines” may be used.
Downstream of the deluge, the flow velocities shall normally not exceed 10 m/s.Some areas
may require velocities higher than 10 m/s in order to hydraulically balance the systems which
is acceptable provided the reaction force within the system does not cause excessive stress in
the pipe work or the supports.
Oily Water Lines
The lines for oily water to water treatment facilities shall be sized based on pressure drop
available. Typically the velocity should not exceed 3 m/s.
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Chemical Lines
Chemical lines are usually designed for a maximum velocity of 1.5 m/s.
Recommended maximum velocity in lines carrying chemicals are as below:
Service Recommended max velocity (m/s)
CS pipe carrying phenolic water 0.9
CS pipe carrying concentrated H2SO4 1.2
CS pipe carrying caustic solution 1.2
Gas line sizing criteria shall be used for IA, PA and Nitrogen lines.
Special Cases
Reboiler Lines
Miscellaneous Fluids
Pulverized catalyst carrier lines (dilute-phase flow): 12 m/s max. Velocity of 7.5
m/s is preferred. However, for densities under 0.8 kg/m3 higher velocities may
be used.
Cement pipe or coal tar Enamel liquid pipe carrying salt water : 4.5 m/s max.
Plastic pipe or rubber lined pipe carrying liquid in general : 3.0 m/s max.
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7.0 RECORDS
Not Applicable
8.0 APPENDICES
Not Applicable
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