Overview of Piping
In every processing facility, you have feedstock and product that need to get from point A to point B. Piping is the vehicle that moves these liquids and gasses through a refinery or chemical processing plant. They can be made of steel, cast iron, copper, plastic, or other materials depending on the environment and materials being transported. Segments of pipe are often joined together using either bolted flanges or by welding pipes together. The major difference between piping and pipelines is that pipelines transport materials long distances between separate facilities or for distribution. Piping on the other hand is made to transport gasses and fluids, such as water or chemicals, within a single facility.[1]
There are several standards and recommended practices that apply to piping systems, including but not limited to:
- API 570, Piping Inspection Code - Inspection, Repair, Alteration and Rerating of In-Service Piping Systems, which provides guidance on how to determine which piping systems are most susceptible to CUI.
- API RP 574, Inspection Practices for Piping System Components, which discusses inspection practices for piping, tubing, valves, and fittings.
- API RP 578 - Material Verification for New and Existing Alloy Piping, which provides guidelines for a material and quality assurance system to verify that the composition of the alloy components of a piping system are consistent with the specified construction materials.
- API RP 583, Corrosion Under Insulation and Fireproofing, which covers the design, maintenance, inspection, and mitigation practices to address external CUI as it applies to pressure vessels, piping, storage tanks, and spheres.
- ASME PCC-2 - Repair of Pressure Equipment and Piping, which provides methods for repairing equipment and piping within the scope of ASME Pressure Technology Codes and Standards after it has been placed into service.
- ASTM STP 880, Corrosion of Metals Under Thermal Insulation, which provides information on corrosion problems that can occur on thermally insulated plant equipment and piping components if the insulation becomes wet.
References
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Online Article
Updated editions of both API 570 and API RP 580 were recently released by the American Petroleum Institute.
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September/October 2012 Inspectioneering JournalBy A.C. Gysbers at The Equity Engineering Group, Inc.
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September/October 2012 Inspectioneering JournalBy Richard D. Roberts at Quest Integrity Group
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NACE International has approved two highly anticipated standards dedicated to the control of internal pipeline corrosion.
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May/June 2003 Inspectioneering JournalBy John Reynolds at Intertek
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March/April 2003 Inspectioneering JournalBy Dr. Nand K. Gupta at Omega International Technology, Inc.
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July/August 2003 Inspectioneering JournalBy John Reynolds at Intertek
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January/February 2001 Inspectioneering JournalBy John Reynolds at Intertek
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May/June 1999 Inspectioneering JournalBy Paul K. Davidson at WIS, Inc.
EMATs (Electromagnetic Acoustic Transducers) have been used for over six years for field service inspection of in-service piping. Recent advances in technology have allowed us to inspect new types of on-stream piping.
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January/February 1999 Inspectioneering JournalBy Joseph E. Pascente at Lixi, Inc.
One of the greatest challenges facing many of refining, fossil power, and pulp and paper industries is: How to effectively examine their insulated piping?
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November/December 1998 Inspectioneering JournalBy Michael Twomey at CONAM Inspection Inc., and Jay N. Rothbart at Conam Inspection Inc.
We have been asked many times by existing and prospective users of PCMS (a computerized, inspection database management system), how many TMLs (Thickness Management Locations) should be installed per piping circuit. These inquiries must be addressed...
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September/October 1997 Inspectioneering JournalBy John Reynolds at Intertek
This is the fourth in a series of articles on piping inspection that I'm writing for the Journal. One of the previous ones dealt with improving thickness data taking accuracy with digital ultrasonic methods. This article is a "sister article" that...
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May/June 1997 Inspectioneering JournalBy John Reynolds at Intertek
In the Jan/Feb issue of the IJ, I mentioned how important the Management of Change (MOC) process is when it comes to maintaining safe, leak-free piping systems; stating that we in the inspection business cannot do it alone; that is, we taint the...
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March/April 1997 Inspectioneering JournalBy John Reynolds at Intertek
This is the second in a series of articles on piping inspection. In the last article, I enumerated four inspection issues that I believe contribute to inadequate piping mechanical integrity in the hydrocarbon process industry.
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January/February 1997 Inspectioneering JournalBy John Reynolds at Intertek
It's probably more important to those of us who don't have a brain tumor. Unfortunately, it's precisely because piping inspection is not neurosurgery that it's often done poorly, which can lead to significant impacts on process unit reliability, or...
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January/February 1997 Inspectioneering JournalBy Del Underwood at Det Norske Veritas
There are a number of terms to describe commonly experienced problem conditions with reciprocating compressors. One of the terms that I have always appreciated is the pendulum action of a large unsupported mass on the end of a vibrating pipe.
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May/June 1996 Inspectioneering JournalBy Del Underwood at Det Norske Veritas
This final issue on gusset problems will discuss why gussets are "stiffeners" rather than "strengtheners." The effective load bearing capacity of a member of given strength is based upon how large a cross-sectional area is carrying the load....
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January/February 1996 Inspectioneering JournalBy Del Underwood at Det Norske Veritas, and Tim Munsterman at Det Norske Veritas
Last issue, in keeping with the evaluation that "gussets are stiffeners, not strengtheners," we discussed welding around the ends of the gusset plate instead of just along the sides in order to reduce the stress concentration. A further improvement...
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September/October 1995 Inspectioneering JournalBy Del Underwood at Det Norske Veritas
A key to any piping evaluation program is to understand where problems can occur. Vibrating piping can propagate a crack relatively quickly. Have you ever installed gussets to stabilize a vibrating pipe situation only to find, shortly thereafter,...
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May/June 1995 Inspectioneering JournalBy Bob Browne at ERA Technology
For reason of economy, the hot reheat pipework in many US power plants is fabricated from seam-welded low chrome-moly carbon steel spools. Unlike girth butt welds, where the critical weldment microstructures can off-load stress to the stronger...
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Utilities' High Energy Piping Systems - Utility Industry's Application of Accoustic Emission (AE) Yields Measurable Improvement in Inspection Program Cost and Overall System IntergrityMarch/April 1995 Inspectioneering JournalBy Charles L. Foster at Pacific Gas & Electric
High energy piping (HEP) systems, main steam lines and hot reheat lines (typically low chrome molydbdenum steels), are susceptible to creep damage. Such damage can lead to leaks, and in extreme cases, catastrophic failure.
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Sponsored Video Published on June 26, 2019In this webinar, the presenters walk through a four step process to develop effective and efficient asset strategies for piping to optimize cost, refocus resources and reduce risk.
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Published on April 24, 2018The CSB has released an animation detailing the events leading up to the February 8, 2017 explosion at the Packaging Corporation of America's DeRidder, Louisiana, pulp and paper mill. The incident killed three contract workers and injured seven.
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Published on April 19, 2013The U.S. Chemical Safety Board releases an animation of the August, 2012 incident at Chevron's Richmond, CA refinery.
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NewsIPEIA, September 16, 2019
The 24th IPEIA Conference & Exhibition registration is now live. Register now and take advantage of an Early Bird reduced rate ($100 savings)!
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NewsCSB, January 23, 2015
The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) will hold a public meeting on January 28, 2015, to present the third and final investigation report and safety recommendations from the August 6, 2012, crude unit fire that occurred at the Chevron Refinery in...
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NewsUS Chemical Safety Board, November 11, 2014
In its final Regulatory Report entitled "Regulatory Report: Chevron Richmond Refinery Pipe Rupture and Fire,” the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) proposes recommendations for substantial changes to the way refineries are regulated in...
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NewsUS Chemical Safety Board, April 10, 2014
A massive explosion and fire at the Silver Eagle Refinery on November 4, 2009, in Woods Cross, Utah, which damaged homes in a nearby neighborhood, was caused by a rupture in a pipe that had become dangerously thin from corrosion, the U.S. Chemical...
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Press ReleaseQuest Integrity, July 11, 2013
Quest Integrity Group introduces a new animation focused on the inspection and assessment of buried or inaccessible piping in nuclear facilities utilizing HYDRA™, an ultrasonic-based intelligent pigging technology.
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NewsFebruary 22, 2013
Chevron U.S.A. Inc. has reviewed Anamet, Inc.’s technical evaluation of the piping samples taken from the Chevron U.S.A. Richmond Refinery following the August 6, 2012 incident.
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