Piping Components

AN INTRODUCTION

SUMMARY

1.
1.What
Whatis
is aaPiping
Piping System?
System?
2.
2. What
Whatare
arePiping
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 its

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 " 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 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