Piping systems are complex, running the length and width of a plant.

Piping runs to
every major piece of equipment and every tank, often over long distances. The pipes
that carry hot liquid, steam, or other hot gasses will experience thermal
expansion. If you recall from our previous article, this ultimately serves to
increase the pipe’s length. Pipes that carry cryogenic or cold substances will
experience thermal contraction and the pipe’s length will decrease. Both of these
instances can wreak havoc in the plant unless properly designed and planned for.

Metals has the capacity to expand or contract due to temperature change. Metals
pipe also expand in summer and contract in winter, such changes can cause
deformities, inorder to avoid this, loops are joined with the metal pipe.

Introduction to Piping System

A pipe can be defined as a tube made of metal, plastic, wood, concrete or
fiberglass. Pipes are used to carry liquids, gases, slurries, or fine particles. A
piping system is generally considered to include the complete interconnection of
pipes, including in-line components such as pipe fittings and flanges. Pumps, heat
exchanges, valves and tanks are also considered part of piping system. Piping
systems are the arteries of our industrial processes and the contribution of piping
systems are essential in an industrialized society.

Fig. 1 illustrates the magnitude of piping required in a typical chemical process

plant. Piping systems accounts for a significant portion of the total plant cost,
at times as much as one-third of the total investment. Piping systems arranged
within a very confined area can be a added challenge to piping and support
engineers.

Where are piping systems used?

Piping Systems - The Precision Companies
Piping System Applications

Piping systems are extensively used by the chemical industry, food processing
plants, cryogenics, treatment plants, oil mining industry, petroleum piping,
petrochemical, refinery, and also within factories or plants.

Stress analysis
Process piping and power piping are typically checked by pipe stress engineers to
verify that the routing, nozzle loads, hangers, and supports are properly placed
and selected such that allowable pipe stress is not exceeded under different loads
such as sustained loads, operating loads, pressure testing loads, etc., as
stipulated by the ASME B31, EN 13480, GOST 32388, RD 10-249 or any other applicable
codes and standards. It is necessary to evaluate the mechanical behavior of the
piping under regular loads (internal pressure and thermal stresses) as well under
occasional and intermittent loading cases such as earthquake, high wind or special
vibration, and water hammer.[4][5] This evaluation is usually performed with the
assistance of a specialized (finite element) pipe stress analysis computer programs
such as AutoPIPE,[6] CAEPIPE,[7] CAESAR,[8] PASS/START-PROF,[9] ROHR2.[10]

In cryogenic pipe supports, most steel become more brittle as the temperature
decreases from normal operating conditions, so it is necessary to know the
temperature distribution for cryogenic conditions. Steel structures will have areas
of high stress that may be caused by sharp corners in the design, or inclusions in
the material.[11]

oil and gas, chemical, power, semiconductor, food, automotive, and other operating
plants in extreme environments which include temperatures over 1000°F