Equipments Used in Piping Project
Equipment Used in Piping Project
Even while parts like Pipes, Fittings, Flanges, and valves are necessary and indispensable for moving different goods from one area of a piping facility to another, they only have a little part in the actual production of a marketable product. The functions for which a pipe facility is being constructed are actually carried out by other parts of the facility. All of these things are referred to as mechanical equipment.
The commodity moving through the pipe system can be started, stopped, heated, cooled, liquefied, vaporised, transferred, stored, mixed, or separated using mechanical equipment. The equipment employed in the vast majority of pipe facilities will be focused and types are given below.
Equipment Used in Piping Project
Pumps
- A pump is a machine used to generate a differential pressure to propel a liquid through a piping system from one location to another.
- Efficient transference of liquids, from equipment to equipment through various elevations, is essential for a process plant to function.
Photo by Lucas van Oort on Unsplash - Pumps accelerate the speed at which a commodity travels within a pipe, thereby increasing its rate of flow.
- Pumps used in piping facilities will be one of the following classifications:
- Centrifugal
- Reciprocating
- Rotary
Vessels
They are classified into
- Horizontal Vessels
- Vertical Vessels
Compressors
- The compressor is similar to the pump, but it is designed to move air, gases, or vapours rather than liquids.
- The compressor is used to increase the rate at which a gaseous commodity flows from one location to another. Gases, unlike liquids, are elastic and must be compressed in order to control their flow characteristics.
- Like pumps, compressors are manufactured in centrifugal, reciprocating, and rotary configurations.
- Another type of mechanical equipment is the exchanger.
- Its purpose in a piping facility is to transfer heat from one commodity to another.
- Whether the objective is to heat a liquid to a desired temperature or cool a product for final storage, the exchanger can accomplish both.
- Exchangers do not mix commodities together, but rather transfer heat through contact with a surface of a different temperature.
- An exchanger most people are familiar with is the common household water heater.
- Cold water flows around a heated element to warm the water.
- A number of exchanger types are available; they include the shell and tube, double pipe, reboiler, and air fan.
Tanks
- Tanks are used to store liquid, gas, and vapour for the operation of a process plant.
- The location of such equipment is usually outside the process area.
- The area where the tanks are located is called a tank farm.
- There are two types of tanks:
- Atmospheric tanks
- Pressurised tanks.
Cooling Towers
- After circulating through equipment such as exchangers and condensers, cooling water will have accumulated substantial heat gain.
- Without dissipating the heat gain, cooling water will lose its cooling effectiveness.
- A cooling tower is a mechanical device that lowers the temperature of cooling water.
- Cooling towers are uniquely designed to dissipate heat gain by evaporating specific amounts of aerated water that has been circulated through an air-induced tower.
- Although there is a significant amount of drift (the amount of water lost during the aerating and evaporation sequence), cooling towers are extremely efficient and are widely used.
- Older cooling towers are easily recognisable because they are constructed of wood and have horizontal slats resembling louvres with water cascading down the walls.
Boilers/Heaters/Furnace
- In a process facility, heaters, commonly referred to as furnaces, are used to raise a feedstock’s temperature to a level where it can be utilised.
- Before being piped into a fractionation column, some feeds, such as crude oil, need to be heated to around 700°F.
- Pipes that run in a continuous S or U shape line the heater’s internal walls.
- The high temperatures needed in a heater are produced by burners that are powered by gas or oil.
- Both vertical and horizontal types of heaters are possible.
- Typically, round, vertical heaters use internal plumbing that runs vertically.
Dryers
- In industrial piping systems, dryers are essential components used to remove moisture or water vapour from compressed air or gases before they are used in processes or equipment.
- Moisture in piping systems can lead to corrosion, freezing, equipment damage, and product contamination.
- Therefore, dryers help enhance system efficiency, prolong equipment life, and ensure product quality.
Filters
- Filters are essential parts of industrial pipe systems that eliminate pollutants, sediments, dirt, and debris from liquids or gases.
- These pollutants can lead to pipeline obstructions, equipment damage, decreased process efficiency, and product contamination.
- Filters improve overall system dependability, safeguard downstream equipment, and keep flow media clean.
- Purpose of Filters in Piping Systems
- Ensure cleanliness of process fluids (liquids/gases) Protect pumps, valves, meters, compressors, and instrumentation
- Enhance equipment lifespan and system reliability
- Prevent clogging, corrosion, or wear and tear
- Ensure product quality in sensitive industries (pharma, food, etc.)
- Example for filter:
- Wash Oil Filter
- Naphtha Feed Filters
- Purge Oil Filters
- Kero Feed Filters
Drum
- A drum is an essential pressure vessel used mostly in steam generation and process systems in the industrial plumbing industry.
- It is essential for holding or gathering process fluids as well as for separating fluid phases (liquid, steam, or gas).
- In sectors including power generation, oil and gas, chemical, and petrochemical facilities, drums are crucial for preserving equipment safety, process control, and operational stability.
- Example of a Drum
- Caustic Drain Drum
- Wet Flare Drum
- Dry Flare Drum
- Deethanizer Reflux Drum
- C4/C5 Feed Surge Drum