Piping Components

AN INTRODUCTION
 SUMMARY

1.
1.What
Whatis
isaaPiping
PipingSystem?
System?

2.
2. What
What are
are Piping
PipingComponents?
Components?

3.
3.Piping
PipingComponent
Component Classification
Classification

4.
4.Typical
TypicalApplications
Applications
 Piping System

Conveys fluid between locations

 Piping system includes:

Pipe

Fittings (e.g. elbows, reducers, branch connections, etc.)

Flanges, gaskets, bolting

Valves

Pipe supports
 Piping system does not include:

Support structures

Equipment
 Pipe

A hollow cylinder or tube used to conduct a liquid,

gas, or finely divided solid
 Materials used for Pipe

Steel and Wrought Iron Pipe
 Used to carry water, steam, oil, and gas
 Commonly used under high pressures and temperatures

Cast Iron Pipe
 Often installed underground to carry water, gas, and sewage

Copper tubing
 Used in plumbing and heating and where vibration and
misalignments are factors such as in automotive, hydraulic, and
pneumatic design

Plastic Pipe
 Often used in chemical industry due to its resistance to corrosion and
chemicals
 Not recommended where heat or pressure is a factor
 Pipe (continued)

 Pipe Sizing

Pipe is normally identified by "nominal pipe size" or NPS and it’s
wall thickness is referred to by schedule number or weight

NPS maintains a uniform outside dia while varying the inside dia
 Pipe (continued)

 Methods of Joining Pipe


Butt-Weld Joint
 Lines NPS 2" and larger are usually butt-welded
 Used where connection will be permanent and on high pressure
and temperature lines
 Weld metal may intrude inside of the piping. This may affect flow
in services of fibrous material that may build up and clog the
piping
 Socket Welded or Screwed joint
 Used commonly on lines of NPS 1 ½" and smaller
 Socket welding is advantageous over screwed connections in
that the absence of leakage is assured
 No chance of weld material entering the bore of the pipe
 The 1/16" recess in the joint holds or pockets liquid
 Pipe (continued)

 Methods of Joining Pipe


Bolted flange joint
 Used to bolt to flange nozzles on equipment and for process
lines that require periodic inspection and/or cleaning
 Made by bolting together two flanges and have a gasket placed
in between them to create a leak proof seal
 Flanges are expensive
 Pipe Fittings

Produce change in geometry

 Fittings are used to:

Change a pipe's direction

Connect two or more pipes

Change pipe size

Extend or terminate pipe runs
 Fittings that change a pipe's direction

Elbows (ells)
 Most common are 90 and 45 deg elbows, but are
also available in 22 ½ and 60 deg
 Pipe Fittings (continued)


Mitered Elbows
 Constructed as required from pipe and are not true
fittings
 Use is limited to low pressure lines 10" and larger
where pressure drop is unimportant
 In a 3 piece mitered, 90 degree elbow the flow
resistance is double the resistance of a regular 90
degree continuous elbow

Bends
 Bends are constructed from straight pieces of pipe
 Commonly they are bends of 3 and 5 times the NPS
of the pipe, referred to as 3R or 5R

180 deg returns
 Usually found in the construction of heating coils
and vent on the top of storage tanks
 Pipe Fittings (continued)

 Fittings that Connect two or more pipes


Tees
 Offer the most varieties of any type of fitting
 For reducing tees, the branch and/or one end of the
thru section is a smaller diameter than the inlet


Crosses
 If the branch line passes through the tee, the fitting
becomes a Cross


Wyes
 Wyes are similar to tees except that the branch line
is angled to reduce friction, typically at a 45-degree
 Pipe Fittings (continued)

 Fittings that Connect two or more pipes


Olets
 Used as an alternative branch connection and do
not require any reinforcements
 Make a 90 degree branch as either full size or
reduced off of a straight pipe
 Weldolets allow closer manifolding then tees permit
 The socket weld version is called a sockolet and the
threaded is called threadolet

Stub-in
 Term used in welding a branch pipe run into the side
of the main piping run, and is not a true fitting
 The most common and cheapest approach for pipes
2" and larger
 Pipe Fittings (continued)

 Fittings that change pipe size


Reducers
 Used to join a larger pipe to a smaller pipe
 Can be couplings, tees, ells, or wyes, where one
end is smaller than the other
 Both ends are female

Swages
 Used to connect butt welded piping to smaller
screwed or socket welded piping

Bushings
 Serve the same purpose as reducers except that
they have one male and one female end
 They are virtually invisible once installed
 Pipe Fittings (continued)

 Fittings that extend or terminate pipe runs


Couplings
 Connect pipe to pipe
 Usually have tiny ridges or "stops" on the inside to
seat the pipe

Adapters
 Are similar to couplings, but they connect different
types of pipe

Unions
 Are three-part mechanical fittings that connect any
two standard size pipe in such a way that they may
be disconnected and reassembled with a pipe
wrench

Caps and Plugs
 End a run of pipe by closing it off with a leak tight
seal
 Flanges

A flange allows two pipes to be mechanically

connected together, or a pipe to be mechanically
connected to a valve, tee or other piece of
equipment
 Flange Principal

The principle of a flange is to use a
mechanical force (exerted by the bolts) to
pre-load the gasket sufficiently so that
when internal pressure is applied, there is
enough contact stress between the
flanges and gasket to maintain a seal.
 Flanges (continued)

 Flange Rating

Identifies acceptable pressure/temperature combinations

Flange strength is based on dimensions and material used

Seven classes
(150, 300, 400, 600, 900, 1,500, 2,500)

Flange strength increases with class number
 Flanges (continued)

 Flange Facings

The most commonly used facings are:

 Flange Types:
 Weld neck Flange
 The most common type of flange used for
high pressure applications
 They are recognized by their long tapered
hub
 Flanges (continued)


Slip-On Flange
 Fits over the pipe and is then welded
 Requires two welds
 Their calculated strength under internal
pressure is approximately two-thirds that
of welding neck flanges
 Only available in smaller pressure
ratings/diameters.
 Used in lieu of welding necks when cost or
space is a major consideration.

Socket Weld Flange
 Their internal pocket allows for a smooth
bore and better fluid flow.
 They are ideal for small diameter high
pressure applications.
 Flanges (continued)


Lap Joint Flange
 Primarily employed with lap joint stubs
 Combined initial cost of the two items
being approximately one-third higher than
that of comparable welding neck flanges
 The ability to swivel flanges and to align
bolt holes simplifies the erection of large
diameter or unusually stiff piping
 Threaded Flange
 Confined to special applications
 Chief merit lies in the fact that they can be
assembled without welding
 Are unsuited for conditions involving
temperature or bending stresses of any
magnitude, particularly under cyclic
conditions where leakage through the
threads may occur
 Flanges (continued)


Blind Flange
 Used to blank off the ends of piping,
valves and pressure vessel opening
 Blind flanges, particularly in the larger
sizes, are the most highly stressed of all
flange types
 Orifice Flange
 Used in conjunction with orifice meters for
measuring the rate of flow of liquids and
gases
 Are basically the same as standard
welding neck and slip-on flanges except
for the provision of radial, tapped holes in
the flange ring for meter connections and
additional bolts to act as jack screws to
facilitate separating the flanges for
inspection or replacement of the orifice
plate
 Gaskets and Bolts

 Gasket

A sealing device used between two parts
to prevent leakage

Made from resilient material compressed
by bolts to create seal

Types include inside-the-bolt circle (no
bolt holes) and full face (with bolt holes
and the same diameter as the flange)
 Bolt

A threaded fastener

Provides the required tension for making
the seal
Valves
 Pipe Supports

Pipe hangers and supports are devices which

transfer the loads from the pipe to the supporting
structure or equipment
 Pipe Support Configurations
 Pipe supports are designed to constrain pipe
motion in one, two, or three space coordinates
 Common Pipe Support Types
 Steel Bracket
 A cantilever device intended for supporting a
gravity load
 U Bolt Clamp
 A U-shaped rod with threaded ends used as a
support or guide.
 Pipe Supports (continued)

 Rod Hanger
 Probably the most common type, that
attaches to the pipe by a U bolt or clevis
and clamps to structural steel above
 Steel Pipe Clamp
 A pipe attachment for suspension of
horizontal stationary insulated lines
 Pipe Clip
 A pipe attachment for suspension of
horizontal stationary lines by bolting the
clip directly to a structure. Also referred to
as a pipe strap or strap
 Pipe Saddle
 A device having a curved base for cradling
horizontal pipe