BEST PRACTICE MANUAL-FLUID PIPING SYSTEM


CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION
2. FUNDAMENTALS
3. COMPRESSED AIR PIPING
4. STEAM DISTRIBUTION
5. WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
6. THERMAL INSULATION
7. CASE STUDIES

INTRODUCTION

Selection of piping system is an important aspect of system design in any energy consuming system. The selection issues such as material of pipe, configuration, diameter, insulation etc have their own impact on the overall energy consumption of the system. Piping is one of those few systems when you oversize, you will generally save energy; unlike for a motor or a pump.Piping system design in large industrial complexes like Refineries, Petrochemicals, Fertilizer Plants etc are done now a day with the help of design software, which permits us to try out numerous possibilities. It is the relatively small and medium users who generally do not have access to design tools use various rules of thumbs for selecting size of pipes in industrial plants. These methods of piping design are based on either “worked before” or “educated estimates”. Since everything we do is based on sound economic principles to reduce cost, some of the piping design thumb rules are also subject to modification to suit the present day cost of piping hardware cost and energy cost. It is important to remember that there are no universal rules applicable in every situation. They are to be developed for different scenarios.

For example, a water piping system having 1 km length pumping water from a river bed pumping station to a plant will have different set of rules compared to a water piping system having 5 meter length for supplying water from a main header to a reactor. Hence the issue of pipe size i.e. diameter, selection should be based on reducing the overall cost of owning and operating the system.


This guidebook covers the best practices in piping systems with a primary view of reducing energy cost, keeping in mind the safety and reliability issues. The basic elements of best practice in piping systems are:
1. Analysis & optimum pipe size selection for water, compressed air and steam distribution systems
2. Good piping practices
3. Thermal insulation of piping system.

Post a Comment

0 Comments