THUMB-RULES / GUIDELINES
PIPING
Max. Allowable Delta P in suction piping - 0.5 to 1.5 psi/100 Ft
Discharge piping - 1 to 5 psi/100 Ft
Typical Design Vepor Velocities (ft/sec)
<=6” 8” - 12” >=14”
Sat. Vap. (0-50 psig) 30-115 50-125 60-145
Gas Superheated Vap.
(0-10 psig) 50-140 90-190 110-250
(11-100 psig) 40-115 75-165 95-225
(101-900 psig) 30-85 60-150 85-165
Typical design velocities for process system (FPS)
Avg. Liquid Process - 4-6.5
Pump Suction (except boiling) - 1-5
Pump Suction (boiling) - 0.5-3
Boiler Feed Water (pump disc) - 4-8
Drain lines - 1.5-4
Liquid to reboiler - 2-7
Vap. Liq. Mix. Out reboiler - 15-30
Vap. To condenser - 15-30
Gravity sep. Flow - 0.5 -1.5
Steam (Inlet to turbine) - 100-150
Steam (Exhaust-non condensing) - 175-200
Line Velocity & Del P for line dia D
Liq. Pump Discharge - (5 + D/3) fps - 2.0 psi/100 ft
Liq. Pump Suction - (1.3 + D/6)fps - 0.4 psi/100 ft
Steam or Gas - 20 D fps - 0.5 psi/100 ft
Pipe Schedule No.- 1000 P/S - P=psi , S= All. Wkg stress psi (10000 psi for CS)
Pressure drop in piping Delta P = (fw²)/(74000d²) psi/100 ft
f =Friction Factor=0.004, w =Flow rate lb/hr, = Density lb/ft³, d = ID inch
For Vacuum line Delta P = (fLu²)/(2gD) lb/ft² g = 32.2 lb/ft².
f =Friction factor, L =Length Ft, =Density lb/ft³, u =Velocity ft/sec, D =ID ft
For Water Vapor Delta P = (0.94+0.0037t)VL/d 4 micron
t = Temp, V =ft³/min, d = ID inch, L = ft
Delta P (Fanning Formula) = 62530 f w² / (d 5 ) kg/cm²/100 mtr.
w = kg/hr, d= eq. Dia mm, = kg/m³
REACTORS / VESSELS / TANKS
Vessels operating below atmospheric pressure are designed for full vacuum
regardless of the actual vacuum
Q (Flow rate from impeller ft³/sec -= kND³
K=0.4, N= RPM, D=Dia in Ft.
Power No. Po = pg/N³D5
Set pressure is the inlet pressure at which the relief valve is adjusted to open.
Over Pressure is increase over the set pressure of the primary relieving device.
Safety Valve : Never make pipe connection smaller than valve or disk inlet
Keep friction press drop very low , not over 1 to 2 % of all. Pressure
velocity head loss should be low, not over 2% of all. Pressure.
Disch. Piping must be sized for low DP to avoid back pressure. Press. Drop or
variation in back pressure should not exceed 10 % of set pressure.
Rupture disk are often placed below a safety valve to prevent corrosive, tarring or
other material from entering the nozzle.
For vessel subjected to Internal pressure only, the design pressure can normally be
arrived by adding the greater of 10 % or 10-25 psi to the maximum operating
pressure, when a relief valve is used and about 33% higher, when a tension loaded
rupture disc is used.
Jacketed vessel operating under external pressure as a result of jacket fluid should
be designed for the max. Anticipated jacket pressure plus 10% with no credit for any
internal pressure.
Additional metal thickness should be provided at Vapor Liquid interface.
For continuous operating CS or Low allot steel - 1/8” (3 mm) Corr. Allowance
For Non operating / standby - 1/16” Corr. Allow. is sufficient
L/D Ratio for agitator
Turbine Type - Single Impeller (Blending) - 1.4
- Duel (Blending) - 2.1
- Single (Solid susp/Gas disp.) - 1.2
- Duel ((Solid susp/Gas disp.) - 1.8
Propeller - Single (up to 3000 cp) - 1.2
- Duel (up to 3000 cp) - 1.8
Measuring Tank - 8
Gas Liquid Separator - 1.5
Knock out Drum - 3
Vertical Reflux drum - 3
Superficial Velocities
Mild Agitation - 0.1 - 0.2 fps
Intence agitation - 0.07 - 1.0 fps
gas bubble sparger - 1 fpm (mild) - 4 fpm (Severe agitation)
Power (hp/1000 Gal) Tip Speed (rpm)
Blending 0.2 - 0.5 <7.5
Homogeneous Reaction 0.5 - 1.5 7.5 - 10
Reaction with heat transfer 1.5 - 5.0 10 - 15
Liq- Liq Mixing 5.0 - 10.0 15 - 20
Liq. Gas Mixing 5.0 - 10.0 15 - 20
Slurring 10 >20
20” Nominal manways will be provided. 24” nominal manways are necessary in
towers & vessels internals & catalysts.
Air leakages in the system can be found by
MA (kg/hr) = 0.072/0.75* Vac. Drop. * System Vol./ Time for Drop
Vac. Drop in mm hg. , Time in min, Vol in M³.
Or W(lb/hr) = C*V^2/3 V=Ft³,
C=0.2 for p>90 Torr, =0.08 for 3<p<20 torr , 0.025 for p<1torr
For Petroleum Storage tank
Nominal Tank Dia Mtr Min Nominal Thickness mm
Less Than 15 5.0
Over 15 upto 36 6.0
Over 36 upto 60 8.0
Over 80 10.0
Maximum Nominal thickness of tank shall be 40 mm
the width of the plate should not be less than 1500 mm
Piping Pressure Drop for commercial steel pipe is
PD = W1.8µ0.2/20000d4.8p
PD=Frictional Pressure Drop, psi/100 ft
W = Flow rate, lb/hr
µ = Viscosoty, cP
p = Density, lb/ft³
d = Internal Pipe Dia., inch
Orifice
U0² - Up² = C0(2gPD)
U0 = Velocity through orifice, ft/sec
Up = Velocity through pipe, ft/sec
2g = 64.4 ft/sec²
DP=Orifice pressure dorp, ft of liquid
C0 = co-efficient, 0.6 (for orifice), 0.98 ( for ventury)
Rectangular Weir
Fv = 3.33 (L-0.2H)H3/2
Fv = Flow , ft³/sec
L= width of weir, ft
H = Height of liquid over weir, ft