Definition of Terms in Piping

Terms that have specific meanings

Systems of pipes, valves, and fittings

• Pipe: a tube that is employed to conduct fluids; that is, liquids or gases or to encase electrical and optical lines and wires.
• Fitting: A fitting is a device employed for joining two pipes or more Pipes or Tubing, or Pipes or Tubing to other equipment. These fittings include elbows, tees, and couplings to mention but a few.
• Flange: a flat round fitting that is used in a manner to fasten pipes and other instruments end to end. Due to the raised hubs around the circumference of the gasket area, flanges are usually fastened to each other via the use of bolts to achieve a proper sealing.
• Valve: valve as a mechanism that directs the movement of the liquid through a pipe line or a system. Some of these are gate valve, ball valve and check valve.
• Pump: a machine that drives the substance through a pipe or a system. Pumps can be of electric, steam or of any other source of operation that can be installed on them.
• Piping system: a system of pipes and other shapes designed to carry fluids or gases, or to Figure 7 provide structural protection to electrical and optical cables and wires.
• Pressure rating: the maximum amount of pressure that pipe and or components can endure without failure or any sign of damage.
• Flow rate: the rate at which teh fluid or gaseous substance flows in a pipe or a system during a given time.
• Piping class: basically a plan or a checklist of requirements that define materials, dimensions and many other characteristics of the given piping system.

Terms in Piping

• BILL - The portion of a pipe, which is enlarged to receive the end of another pipe of the same diameter for the purpose of making a joint; also called a Hub.
• BLOW-OFF - A controlled outlet on a pipeline used to discharge water.
• BRANCH - A part of piping system other than the main or riser.
• BUTT JOINT - A type of joint in which the metals to be joined are aligned on the same plane.
• CAP - A fitting into which the end of the pipe is screwed or joined to close the end of the pipe.
• CAULKING - One of the common ways to make a watertight seal in a joint by using a material called oakum.
• CONDENSATE - The resulting water when the steam cools.
• DOUBLE OFFSET - Two offsets in succession or in series in the same pipeline.
• DRY VENT - A vent that does not carry water nor water-borne waste.
• ELBOW - A fitting normally used to allow a pipeline to make a turn or change in direction.
• FITTING - Where sections or lengths of pipes are connected.
• FIXTURE - A receptacle attached to a plumbing system other than a trap in which water or waste may be collected or retained.
• FIXTURE BRANCH - The supply pipe between the fixture and the distributing line.
• FIXTURE DRAIN - The drain extending from the trap of a plumbing fixture to a junction of the drain with any other drain pipe.
• FLANGE - A projecting collar, edge, rib, rim, or ring on pipe, shaft or the like.
• FLUID - Any substance that flows
• GOOSE NECK - Any section of pipe, curved like a neck of a goose or in a U-shape; sometimes flexible.
• JIG - A device for guiding or holding a part or parts in correct mechanical alignment, either in the process of fabrication or in the final assembly.
• JOINT - The connection between elements in a piping system.
• LATERAL - A sewer which discharge into a branch and has no other common sewer tributary to it.
• PIPE HANGER - A device to support pipe or group of pipes from a slab, beam, celling or other structural elements.
• PIPE HOOK - A device to support pipe from a wall.
• PIPE PLUG - A fitting with external threads used to close the end of a ferrule, fitting or pipe having internal threads.
• PIPE SADDLE - A vertical support on which a pipe rests.
• REDUCER - A fitting used to connect pipes of different sizes or diameters together.
• RUN - The side adjacent to a given angle in a right triangle; also adjacent side.
• SCHEMATICS - A line drawing or graph design made for technical or scientific purposes that explains how a system works by using symbols and connecting lines.
• SET - The side opposite the given angle in a right triangle; another name for opposite side in trigonometry
• SPIGOT - The end of a pipe that fits into a bell in making a joint; also a word synonyms with faucet.
• TEE - A T-shaped fitting with branch outlet at 90° to the main line.
• TRAVEL - The side opposite the right angle in a right triangle; also hypotenuse.
• VENT - A pipe installed to provide a flow of air to or from a drainage system or to provide a circulation of air which in some systems protect trap scals from siphenage and back pressure.

Meaning of piping

Different pipes and other appurtenances collectively called piping when used in engineering and construction to transport fluids that may be in the liquid or gaseous state in a variety of industries, and commercial and residential buildings. Piping systems serve as means of transport of fluids in a more or less coordinated and economical manner.

It was observed that the word “piping” might be used in several ways and therefore requires elucidation. Very broadly, piping can be described as a system of conduits for the conveyance of fluids or gasses. Piping can be utilized in various systems that include; water supply and drainage, heating, ventilating and air conditioning as well as industrial systems.

Here are some specific examples of piping:

• The conduits that transport water to the holder of the water tap and shower nozzle.
• The pipes via which gas gets to your stove as well as furnace.
• The pipework that brings hot water to your radiators
• The pipes through which a compressed air goes to the pneumatic tools that you use
• These J tubes that transport the oil and or gas from the well head to the refinery.

Pipe works may be of copper, PVC, steel or stainless steel and many other more. The choice of this material will depend on application as well as the fluid or gases that are to be transported by the pipe.

Pipe systems require essential planning and installation to guarantee safety and efficiency of the systems in the piping network. Piping systems also require maintenance to avoid any issues such as leaks in the system.

However, the word “piping” can also carry a more extended meaning related to the information flow or, in other words, communication. For instance, you may express yourself by stating that ‘there seems to be a breakdown of communication in the interaction that occurs between the two departments by means of the ‘pipelines of communication’. This shows that there is poor communication between the two departments, meaning that the flow of information is not proper.

Therefore the meaning of the word piping can be Summarized as having a wide ranging usage depending with the context in which the word is used. However, more generically piping is the infrastructure of pipes utilized in the conveyance of fluids or gases.

Key components and concepts associated with piping include:

Pipes: These are tubes of different productions ranging from metals like steel or copper, plastic like PVC or HDPE and even composites. Pipes are the major delivery system by which fluids move through.

Fittings: Fittings are the connectors such as the elbows, tees, valves and any other device that is required in the connection and controlling of the flow of the pipes.

Flanges: A flange is a flat, usually circular piece, with holes for joining the pipes with bolts. They are perhaps commonly used to join pipes and other ancillary equipment like pumps and valves among others.

Supports and Hangers: To avoid movements and to fix pipes in a proper manner; supports, erection and anchors also known as hangers are used in fixing pipes on structures.

Valves: They are elements used in the piping system that can open or close or partly regulate the flow of fluid through the desired system. They can initiate, arrest, increase or decrease the traffic as well as divert it to any other channel whenever they deem it fit to do so.

Insulation: Insulation is used on pipes to ensure the transported fluid is of the right temperature and to reduce or eliminate chances of that fluid’s temperature affecting it.

Pipe Material Selection: The type of material used in piping depends on factors like the type of fluid in flow, temperature, pressure, and enemy of fluid against piping material and above all the cost factor.

Piping Codes and Standards: Piping structures are planned, fabricated and inspected as per the various industrial standards so that it follows safety measures, reliable and follows the permits.

Piping Layout and Design: Professionals involved in engineering and designing are able to develop intricate designs of the piping systems for the smooth flow of the fluids, low pressure drops and overall proper functionality.

Piping systems are used in a wide range of applications, including:Piping systems are used in a wide range of applications, including:

• Water supply and distribution in buildings and municipalities.
• Oil and gas transportation in pipelines.
• Chemical processing in industrial facilities.
• Building systems such as Heating Ventilation, and Air Conditioning, abbreviated as HVAC systems.
• Production of steam and its supply in thermal power stations.
• Water supply and removal facilities in home structures and business.
• Fire protection systems.
• For manufacture and industrial process where many processes are involved then piping is used.

The two main elements of piping are design and maintenance, which are critical components in safe and efficient operation of such systems as well as in guaranteeing the stability of the fluids being conveyed.

What is the difference between piping and pipeline

The difference between ‘piping’ and ‘pipeline’ is a small semantic shift from one to the other or used on at one instance and the other at another instance.

Piping is a general term meaning any network of pipes and is used for the transportation of fluids or gases. Piping is used in almost all facets of plumbing HVAC, and industrial applications. These piping systems can be of different types depending on the arrangement or they can be of complicated types.

Pipelines are big pipes that are used for the transportation of fluids as well as gases over several miles. Pipelines are utilized for transporting oil, gas, water, and other similar products and a large amount of material. Commonly pipelines are constructed out of steel and are situated in the ground so as to avoid damage due to exposure to the climate conditions.

Here is a table that summarizes the key differences between piping and pipelines:Here is a table that summarizes the key differences between piping and pipelines:

Here are some examples of piping:

• It refers to the facilities that convey water to connectors that supply your showers and taps.
• The conduits that deliver gas to your stove as well as furnace
• The pipes that bring or conduct hot water to the radiators you use in the house
• Pneumatic tools require pipes which transport compressed air to them and these are referred to as the air line pipes.
• The production pipes that transport the crude from the well head to the refinery

Here are some examples of pipelines:

• This is for instance the Trans-Alaska Pipeline that transports the oil from Alaska to the lower 48 states.
• for example, the Keystone Pipeline which transports crude oil from Canada to the United States.
• the NS pipeline is a pipeline that transports natural gas from Russia through the Baltic sea directly to Europe.
• Consequently, the Williams Companies one of the natural gas pipeline companies that own and operate more than 30, 000 miles of pipelines in the United States.

Piping and pipelines are two critical aspects that are vital in today’s infrastructure solutions. These stations are thus employed in the delivery of various fluids and gasses across the globe to homes, organizations and industries, among others.

Definition of piping

Piping can be defined as a network of pipes or tubes, pipe fittings, and other appurtenances employed for conveying fluids including liquids, gases, and vapor in different facilities and structures that are industrial, commercial, and residential places. Piping systems are used for the transportation of fluids from one point to another in a proper system.

Elements of piping systems include pipes; these are pivotal conduits of fluids; fittings, valves, and connectors through which fluids are joined and directed; the supports and hangers that hold the pipes in place; the insulations used in controlling temperatures; other aspects being the materials used and the geometry of the piping systems depending on the requirements for the request.

Industries that apply piping systems include in supplies such as water, sewage or wastewater, in the transport of oil and natural gas, chemical industries, air conditioning, plumbing and many more industries and HVAC systems, industrial processes and many others. These include design, construction, and maintenance aspects that help in delivering the fluids safely by conforming to the sectorial codes and standards.

Difference between codes and standards in piping

Code and standard are two different documents used in piping industry. Some are prosecution by law, while the other is of a voluntary nature; however, codes are compulsory while standard are not.

Codes arestandard and specifications that are formulated to provide criteria for the design of safe and reliable piping systems. It was revealed that the frequently used codes are normally created by government departments or by industrial associations. Some examples of piping codes include:Some examples of piping codes include:

• American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section IX: The following are the welding and brazing qualifications;
• American Petroleum Institute (API) 570 is the Piping Inspection Code.
• AMERICAN NATIONAL STANDARDS INSTITUTE ANSI B31. 3: Process Piping
• ISO 14625:2004 is the International Organization for Standardization that deals with Welding Quality Requirements for Welding of Metallic Materials.

They are documents containing guidelines or recommendations that are practiced when designing, constructing, using or maintaining pipelines. Usually, it is organizations in the industry that produce these standards. Some examples of piping standards include:Some examples of piping standards include:

• The other specification is based on the American Welding Society (AWS) D10. 14 Specification for Welding of Aerospace Materials
• ASTM International A312: Standard specification for hot finished and cold finished, seamless and welded, carbon and alloy steel mechanically Tubular products for use in Low Temperature Service
• MSS SP-58: Pipe Hangers & Supports Manufacturer’s Standardization Society of Japan
• American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) B31G: Guide on Estimating the Remaining Capacity of Corroded Pipelines

The major distinction between codes and standards is that codes are often legally enforced while standards are offered. This then means that piping systems need to meet all the code requirement but they do not need to meet all the standards.

In the following manner, specification is important since it offers guidelines on activities as well as engineering practices for relieving, constructing, maintaining, and installing piping systems. However, it is essential to point out that codes are the regulation documents while standards have to be implemented in a way that could not be contrary to the codes.

Before the start of the piping design and construction it is recommended to seek advice from a professional Engineer for compliance with the codes and standards.

Piping standards for oil and gas

Piping standards and codes are employed in the oil as well as the gas industry when designing, constructing, and operating piping systems. They are standards set by the associations of industries and other governmental and non-governmental institutions to ensure that the standards set in the industry are standard, safe and quality. Some of the prominent piping standards and codes used in the oil and gas sector include:Some of the prominent piping standards and codes used in the oil and gas sector include:

ASME B31 Series: ASME’s B31 series of codes is made of codes boiling down to the various aspects of a piping system. In the oil and gas industry, the most relevant codes include:In the oil and gas industry, the most relevant codes include:

• ASME B31. 3: This code deals with process piping, both the petrochemical and those in the refinery plants.
• ASME B31. 4: Includes pipeline facilities for the transportation of hydrocarbon, water and other types of liquids.
• ASME B31. 8: deals mainly with piping systems that are in the transmission and distribution of gas.

API Standards: The API develops many publications concerning the oils and gas industries, some of which are relevant to piping:

• API 570: Deals with in-service piping inspection, corrosion management, repair/modification/re-rating.
• API 5L: Prescribes standard measures for the production of carbon steel pipes for conveying gasses, water and oil.

ISO Standards: Some of the standards that ISO has established are standards that relate to piping material ,design and testing for the oil and gas industry. In the industry, the application of ISO 9001 covers mainly quality management.

NACE MR0175/ISO 15156: This is a specification from National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) offering guidelines of materials that can be applied in oil and gas production environment that might cause SCC and corrosion.

DIN Standards: The DIN, German Institute for standardization has a number of standards that deals with piping; materials, flanges and fittings. The German Institute for standardization commonly referred to as DIN standards is prevalent in Europe.

EN Standards: EN standards are standards that are used in Europe and are relevant to European countries and address most of the needs of piping as they entail material, design, and testing standards.

GOST Standards: The State Standard of the Russian Federation (GOST) declares standards of piping that applied in Russia and some other countries of the ex-USSR.

ASTM Standards: The typical essential elements for the oil and gas sector varies depending on the materials which includes pipes, fittings, and flanges and ASTM acts as a guide for materials.

BS Standards: BSI has come up with various standards concerning piping, and some are as follow and are mostly used in the industry.

Some particular demands and characteristics may be locally defined for particular projects and localities, as well as different medium features and atmospheric conditions of the sites, where the constructions are to be used. To maintain the piping systems’ reliability, oil and gas engineers and designers must know the standards or codes guiding them to follow in their projects.

piping oil and gas

Piping oil and gas is very difficult and at times may be frustrating. The implementation of a fire protection system is normally a complex process, which involves a proper planning and design, construction and finally effective management accompanied by constant monitoring to avoid possible failure of the system.

Piping oil and gas systems required immense pressure which needs to be tolerated by the pipes used in the products. They also have to have high resistant to corrosion especially when used in the production of oil and gas.

Piping systems for oil and gas are frequently manufactured from steel, but other types of materials such as plastic and copper may also be employed depending on the application that the piping system is going to be used for.

The layout of piping oil and gas system therefore depends on several factors these include the capacity of the system that is the type of oil or gas that need to be transported, the amount of these commodity that need to be transported, the distance that need to be covered and the layout of the surface over which the pipeline will be constructed.

The piping oil and gas system once developed should be constructed properly to suit the required codes and standards. Construction of piping oil and gas system can be involving and time consuming at large.

When the piping oil and gas system is established, a lot of diligence must be followed in operating and maintaining the system to avoid mishaps as well as guarantee efficiency. This also entails often checking the system for instance leaks and some other complications.

Piping oil and gas is one of the key or detarminant processes of the oil and gas industry. Pipeline transportation makes it possible to transport oil and gas from the well head to refineries, and the various processing plants. It also enables taking of oil and gas to the consumers.

Here are some of the challenges associated with piping oil and gas:Here are some of the challenges associated with piping oil and gas:

• High pressure and temperature: These fluids are normally transported at high pressures and temperatures especially the oil and the gas. This can exert a lot of stress to the piping system and thus prone to failure as compared to when the liquid is flowing steadily.
• Corrosion: : The environment in the oil and the gas industry is in most cases corrosive to the metals used. This is why piping oil and gas systems are usually made of corrosion resistant material like the steel.
• Leakage: Generally, oil and gas systems in piping include pipes and joints that, if they develop leakage, can be very hazardous. They can cause fires, explosion and harm the environment.
• Security: Piping oil and gas systems are some of the installation that can suffer loss due to sabotage and terrorism. This is why measures should be put in place to protect such systems.

Making pipelines for oil and gas is not easy; however, it is strongly required for the oil and gas business. This means that proper planning, design, construction and operation of piping oil and systems hold certain dangers of the systems in check.

Definition of Terms in Piping

Terms and definitions associated with piping and pipeline engineering are many there are practices and situations that are peculiar to the field of piping systems. Here are some essential terms and their definitions:Here are some essential terms and their definitions:

Pipe: An open pipe that is in a round shape and transports fluids from one point to the other. Pipes may be composed of different types of material such as metals (steel, copper), plastics and composing material.

Flange: A level disc like component with holes that are used to connect or join pipes or to secure pipes using bolts or nuts and which can also be used to connect one pipe to another or to other objects like values or fittings.

Fitting: An element which is employed for units the pipes, connecting them or directing them in a particular way. Some of the widely used fittings are elbows Tee’s reducers and couplings.

Valve: A valve is a fixture that determines the amount of fluid in a piping system at any given time. Valves can open and close and or restrict and divert or allow the flow as desired.

Elbow: A fixture for bending the run of a pipe through 90 or through other degrees as required.

Tee: A junction that forms of a letter “T” which can split or join the flow of fluids through a pipe line.

Reducer: A connector between two pipes of different sizes through which the bore and thus the flow rate is smaller.

Coupling: Simply speaking, it is an application of a pipe fitting used to connect two pipes of the same diameter, in a direction, which is straight.

Nipple: It is a pipe having two end faces thread to allow it to be joined with another pipe or fitting.

Gasket: A soft filling used in two flanges to close the construction of a flanged joint and reduce leakage.

Flange Rating: A marking number that reveals and classifies the pressure-temperature range of a flange; which symbolizes the maximum allowable working pressure for the component.

Saddle: A structure required, in order to fasten a pipe to a wall or any other surface.

Sleeve: A casing usually fitted around a pipe which is designed to shield it from corrosive agents or harm.

Pipe Schedule: A system of defining the thickness of wall of pipes usually represented by “Schedule 40”, “Schedule 80” and so on.

Piping Layout: The position and layout of piping and related facilities in and around a piping system.

Piping Isometrics: Blueprints that give a precise view of a piping system in a manner that one can see the depth and width of the piping system and all the dimensions of that system.

Piping Material Specification (PMS): A written paper, usually prepared by the engineer in charge of a piping project that details the material that should be used in constructing a piping system ranging from the pipe to the fittings and valves used in the system.

Hydrostatic Testing: A test in which a piping system as filled with water or another type of fluid in order to determine the ability of the system to hold pressure and to discover any leaks.

Welding: The method of connecting two pieces of metal (pipe or fittings by heating the edges and making them flow together.

Corrosion: The aging of piping systems through chemical corrosion which affects the mechanical properties of the materials used and bring about problems of structures.

These are just but a few of the many terms and concepts that are commonly used in the piping discipline. Mastery of these terms is essential to arriving at effective and safe methods in piping systems design, fabrication, and maintenance.