Best Practices in

Pilot Plant Piping

Richard Palluzi
April, 2013
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The ideal piping for a pilot plant would be:
Leak resistant
Easily modified
Able to accommodate varying requirements
Easy to install
Low cost
Available in many different materials of construction
Available in all sizes
Have fittings available in numerous configurations
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Leak Resistance
Pilot Plants are more subject to leakage than process plants
Smaller size
Larger number of joints
Constant modifications
Need to accommodate accessibility, flexibility and change
Common types of piping used in pilot plants
Piping
+ Threaded
+ Welded and flanged
+ Groved
Tubing
+ Compression fittings
+ Vacuum fittings
+ Mechanically joined

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Best Practice: Tubing
Available in numerous materials
Fittings are readily available up to 1 OD
Easier to install and modify
Requires less skill, tools and training for
installation
Smaller and lighter than pipe
Lower cost than pipe
Ability to bend
Reduces need for fittings (lower cost and less
potential for leakage)
Easier to install in tighter locations
Allows for easier removal of components for
cleaning, modification or inspection
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Best Practice: Compression Fittings
Better leak resistance than threaded fittings
Requires few tools and less training
More expensive than pipe fittings
Significantly faster to install so labor savings usually make then cheaper overall
Each fitting is a potential disassembly point
Do require clearance although much less than piping
Significantly better make/break life than pipe fittings
But not infinite!
Numerous specialty fittings available
Many small valves and associated components available
Most compression fittings have limitations on tubing hardness
Confirm the tubing you ordered is within specification
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Best Practice: Compression Fittings
Recognize that compression fittings larger than may require
mechanical assistance
Compression fittings have both minimum and maximum wall
thicknesses
Too thin and the tube may collapse without swaging
Too thick and the tube will not deform enough to prevent blowout
Drilled through compression fittings, used for dip tubes,
thermocouples and similar uses, lose significant pressure ratings

OD(inches) Typical Pressure
Derating
and less 25%
5/8-3/4 50%
7/8 - 1 75%
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Best Practice: Vacuum Fittings
Significantly better leak performance than threaded fittings
Usually requires some welding to avoid additional joints
More expensive than compression and pipe fittings
Each fitting is a potential disassembly point
Zero clearance fittings
Long term make/break life
Gasket surface is more prone to damage
Awareness can reduce frequency
Decision to use O-ring style or metal gasket is usually based on
temperature and pressure
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Best Practice: Threaded Piping
Make sure the die is sharp and in good condition or the threads are
likely to be rounded and more prone to leakage
Make sure the threading is the right length
Longer or shorter lengths will leak
Use good quality fittings
Particularly unions
Avoid threaded connections in cyclic service
Temperature
Pressure
Lightly coat unions with lubricating oil before each assembly
The coating greatly helps it to seal in gas service
Recognize that threads over 1 NPS are increasingly difficult to seal
Particularly in gas service
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Best Practices: Flanged Pipe
Use raised face flanges whenever possible as they require less force
to seal
Avoid threaded flanges
Adds another potential leak point
Often makes bolt alignment difficult if retightened
Tubing is usually a better approach for pipe sizes and smaller

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Best Practice: Specialty Piping
Understand when specialty piping may be a viable or more effective
option
Grooved piping allows for fast and easy disassembly
Lower pressure (1,000 psig is typical)
CS or SS only
High materials costs
Some specialty equipment (grooving tool) required
Sizes below 1 NPS very limited
Sanitary fittings allow for ease of cleaning
Available for piping or tubing
304 or 316 SS only
Lower pressure (300 psig is typical)
High materials costs
Sizes below 1/2 NPS very limited


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Best Practice: Specialty Piping
Flare compression fittings are excellent for thermal cycling but are
generally only available in CS and brass
Good for refrigeration systems
Longer ferrule designs and cone and collar type compression fittings
extend the range of compression fittings to 15,000 or 60,000 psig
respectively
Much more expensive
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Best Practice: Mounting
Use vacuum fittings where frequent removal or cleaning is required
Zero clearance makes layout easier
Ability to replace gaskets maximizes service life
Mount the valves not the tubing wherever possible
Minimizes the stress on the fittings created when operating the valves
Will reduce long term leakage
Avoid unsupported elements
Long spans
Heavier components
Flimsy supports
All lead to increased leakage
Use bends to allow for thermal expansion
Even small temperature swings promote leaks over time
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Best Practice: Reduce Joints
Fewer joints always mean fewer potential leak points
Use specialty fittings to minimize joints
Long term savings outweigh costs over time
Requires some planning or stocking
Weld joints that are:
In difficult to reach locations
Not likely to need to be opened
Are on systems subject to routine or frequent temperature swings
Under insulation
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Best Practice: Remember Maintenance
Almost everything eventually needs maintenance
Make sure easy removal is provided for:
Instruments
Rotating equipment
Filters and strainers that need to be removed to be changed
Reactors
Regulators
Relief devices
Control valves
Decide if you have clearance or need zero clearance fittings
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Best Practice: Leave Room
Pilot plants are always modified
Building a unit in too small a space:
Adds to construction costs
Makes future changes difficult or
impossible
Greatly increases maintenance costs
The Golden Rule: Plan on at least
twice the largest space you think
youll need
Piping runs eat up space
Insulation easts up space
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Best Practice: Training
Train your operators and craft support regarding best piping
practices
Always use a holdback whenever making or breaking any fitting
Otherwise the fittings o neither side will start to leak
Make up the fitting the proper amount
Not too much, not too little
Consider gauge blocks for compression fittings
Never remove a support
Make sure any changes or modifications are properly supported
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Best Practice: You Get What You Pay For
Buy good quality pipe, tubing and fittings
Use high quality gaskets and sealants
Teflon tape and pastes generally work better than dopes
Pastes require a minimum time for hardening
Silver plated vacuum gaskets seal better than plain stainless
Spiral re-enforced gaskets seal easier and last longer than flat gaskets
Paying more for a good quality seal always ends up being more cost
effective!

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Best Practice: Heat Tracing
Avoid joints wherever possible
Use bends to accommodate thermal expansion
Use standoffs to avoid having supports becoming heat sinks
Use vacuum fittings when joints are necessary
Mark insulation for joint location for ease of maintenance