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STARTUP AND OPERATING SERVICES DEPARTMENT STANDARD

DEPARTMENT

APPROVED: Dean Hagerty DATE: 07/06/1993 DOC. NO.: 514-U07-00142-00

514-U07-00142
STARTUP AND OPERATING SERVICES DEPARTMENT

USE OF STARTUP STRAINERS

[Previously 500-7GU-142]

Bechtel Confidential
 Copyright Bechtel Corporation 1999. All rights reserved. Contains confidential information proprietary to Bechtel
and not to be disclosed to third parties without Bechtel's prior written permission.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section Page

1.0 Purpose 1

2.0 Scope 1

3.0 Definitions 1

4.0 Types of Strainers 1

4.1 Conical Strainers 1


4.2 Condensate Pump Inlet Strainers 2
4.3 Flat (Pancake) Strainers 3
4.4 Deaerator and Tank Outlet Strainers 3

5.0 Installation, Use, and Cleaning 4

6.0 Strainer Mesh Effectiveness 5

7.0 Strainer Manufacturers/Materials 6

FIGURES 1-9

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1.0 PURPOSE

This document provides information on the different types of temporary startup


strainers and their use.

2.0 SCOPE

This document applies to temporary strainers used for the protection of pumps
during startup and initial operations.

3.0 DEFINITIONS

Startup strainers are protective devices temporarily installed in pump suction piping
to prevent dirt, pipe scale, weld beads, spatter, or any foreign material from entering
the pump. This pump protection is particularly important for multistage pumps in
order to protect close clearances or running fits from foreign material.

4.0 TYPES OF STRAINERS

4.1 CONICAL STRAINERS

There are two basic flow paths through any type of in-line conical strainer, whether
small apex, large apex (basket), or full pointed-cone type. One is with water flow to
the fine mesh screen inside the cone (Figures 1 and 2) and the other is with water
flow against the outside of the cone (Figure 3). The first flow pattern is preferred for
most installations since, by its nature, debris is collected within the strainer, making
inspection and removal of the strainer simpler, and weighing and analysis of the
debris more accurate. Conical strainers are effective for startup applications, as well
as most service requiring infrequent cleanout.

4.1.1 Small Apex Strainers

Small apex strainers (Figure 1) are the most effective and practical type for most
applications. This type of strainer provides almost the largest amount of free
strainer-to-pipe cross-sectional area and, when a removable spool piece is provided,
it is relatively easy to install, clean, and reinstall.

4.1.2 Large Apex (Basket Type) Strainers

Basket strainers (Figure 2) may be used wherever the available space limits the use
of a small apex strainer, or wherever only a single perforated plate or mesh is
required due to larger allowable particles in the process fluid. Basket strainers are
the same as small apex strainers except that most of the cone has been removed
(approximately 40 percent or more) and the bottom of the basket has a flat screen, a
perforated plate, or a combination of the two. These are used for flow to the inside
of the basket. This strainer has the advantage of a larger internal volume for

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retained solids which allows lower pressure drops over time and subsequently
longer allowable time between cleanouts.

4.1.3 Pointed Apex (Conical) Strainers

An alternative to the small apex strainer is the pointed apex strainer (Figure 3) used
with water flow to the outside of the cone. This type has the fine mesh screen on the
outside with a coarser mesh or perforated plate on the inside of the cone acting as a
strengthening member. The outside-to-inside flow pattern is an advantage in that
plugging of the strainer starts with the outside and fills toward the center. This
leaves the center of the pipe as the last water path, promoting better fluid dynamics.

Use of this type of strainer, however, tends to postpone the inevitable strainer
cleaning. Accordingly, the use of outside-to-inside flow patterns is limited to the
following:

a. When there is insufficient room downstream for the cone

b. For the boiler feed pump, reactor feed pumps, or the condensate booster
pump (low pressure boiler feed pump) suction lines to ensure good center
pipe flow conditions

4.2 CONDENSATE PUMP INLET STRAINERS

4.2.1 In-Line Basket Strainers

Condensate pump in-line basket type strainers can be used for condensate pump
protection when a considerable amount of debris is expected over a long flush
period and ready access for screen cleaning is essential. A typical commercially
available strainer is shown in Figure 4. It should be noted that this design is
significantly expensive compared to the single basket strainer, but, when routine
strainer cleaning is necessary, the added cost is easily justified.

Basket strainers of this type are located as close to the condensate pumps as
practical, usually between the suction isolation valve and the pump suction flange,
and usually in place of the project engineering designed startup strainer spool piece.

After the system has been flushed and cleaned, a conical strainer can be used in the
startup strainer spool piece for continued pump protection during the remainder of
the startup program.

Differential pressure indication should be mounted on the strainer, as close to the


strainer as possible, and oriented to allow for frequent monitoring by operating
personnel.

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4.2.2 Condenser Hotwell Box Strainers

Condensate pump box-type strainers of the type installed within the condenser
hotwell(s) can be used for condensate pump protection when relatively little debris is
expected and access to the strainer for cleaning screens is not expected to exceed
once every several months. Construction details are shown in Figure 5. A thorough
inspection of condensate pump suction piping is essential prior to installing the
strainer. Differential pressure instrumentation should be installed between the
hotwell and the pump suction to monitor screen differential.

Care must be exercised to prevent inaccurate differential pressure readings due to


uneven water legs in the instrumentation tubing. The preferable location for the
instrumentation is down low near the pump suction flanges. In addition, hotwell
connections should be below the lowest anticipated hotwell level to ensure that
tubing lines remain full of water.

4.3 FLAT (PANCAKE) STRAINERS

Flat type strainers (Figure 6) are used in pump suction applications only under
severe space limitations. This is because the free area of the strainer is limited and
any plugging of the strainer severely restricts flow to the pump. When used, these
strainers are installed only during velocity flushing of the discharge piping to waste
and when flow conditions are controlled and observable. These strainers are used
only as a last resort when other types of strainers cannot be used.

4.4 DEAERATOR AND TANK OUTLET STRAINERS

Pump suction line connections inside tanks should have temporary screens installed
at the tank nozzles when large amounts of debris are expected to accumulate in the
tank.

This is particularly important in boiler feed pump or condensate booster pump


suction lines from a deaerator. These screens should be coarse-meshed in order to
keep out only large objects (such as trays and support brackets). They are usually
installed after the suction piping has been flushed to waste and are removed at a
convenient time after full flow conditions to the tank or vessel have been attained
(Figure 7).

Small fines are adequately removed by the boiler feed pump or booster pump
suction strainers; therefore, a tank outlet strainer is not required.

For fuel oil tanks, consideration must be given to the large amount of debris present
in No. 5 or No. 6 fuel and the subsequent deposition of this debris on the bottom of
the fuel tank. Therefore, the installation of screens around the fuel tank outlet is
considered unnecessary. However, fuel pump suction strainers (sometimes motor
operated and automatic) must be kept clean to permit continuous fuel flow.
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5.0 INSTALLATION, USE, AND CLEANING

5.1 The installation, use, and cleaning of startup strainers represent a phase of
startup activities. The following precautions must be observed while operating
pumps in this phase:

a. Startup strainers should not be removed until full design flow through the
pump has been reached and inspections clearly show that the strainer is
no longer required. However, it is good startup practice to leave the
startup strainers installed throughout the startup and acceptance test
program and leave it to the facility Owner's discretion to remove them.
They should be reinstalled whenever upstream piping modifications, tie-
ins, or other work could result in the presence of foreign material in the
process fluid.

b. Design information should be reviewed to verify that the correct strainer is


installed and to determine the limit to set on strainer differential pressure.

c. Clean strainer pressure drops should be recorded at high pump flow rates
as soon as practicable. One of the earliest opportunities to do this is
during pump discharge velocity flushing phases.

d. During startup operation it is good practice to open and inspect the


strainer serving critical pieces of equipment, such as the deaerator,
condenser hotwell(s), boiler feed pumps, condensate pumps, and
condensate booster pumps, at frequent intervals regardless of pressure
readings.

e. Strainer differential pressure surveillance during round-the-clock


operations is necessary for high pressure, high temperature fluid pumps
because the rate of strainer plugging is unpredictable. High differential
alarm contacts may be used to alarm on critical pumps within the plant,
especially on boiler feed booster or condensate pumps.

f. Unmonitored startup strainers left in piping and forgotten can become


plugged, restricting water flow and may ultimately collapse, causing pump
and system damage. Therefore, any startup strainers left in a system
should be a turnover exception list item.

5.2 A differential pressure gauge is required for pressure drop readout. See Figure
8 for typical arrangement of a differential pressure gauge.

5.3 Startup strainers are normally removed when the turbine throttle fine screens
are removed. This is not a hard and fast rule, however, because system cleanness
is related to other factors that may govern removal of temporary startup strainers.

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5.4 Startup strainers inserted between the faces of mating flanges are equipped
with at least one tab protruding from the flange outside diameter. At least one of the
tabs should be painted bright orange to identify the object between the flanges as a
strainer of some kind and not a pipe blank with a pigtail or an orifice plate.

5.5 Removal of startup strainers generally requires insertion of a spacer between


the strainer flanges to avoid pipe strain when flanges are rebolted. In installations
where the pipe is built to ANSI B31.1, the ring material of the strainer is generally
suitable as the spacer material (strainer portion removed). In installations built to
stricter code and quality requirements, such as ASME Section 3, the strainer and
ring assembly must be totally removed and replaced with spacer material that is in
accordance with these requirements.

5.6 Certain applications of startup strainers can be conveniently fitted with a


backwash installation, as shown in Figure 9. To backflush the strainer, the pump is
stopped, its suction valve closed, and, using the drain valve, the pressure is
equalized to atmospheric. Flushing water is then admitted at the hose connection
and the loose material washed off the strainer to waste through the drain.
Restoration of the original valve lineup, following venting through the flush water
connection, leaves the system ready for operation. Backflush connection sizes
shown on Figure 9 should be followed to avoid collapsing the startup strainer with
reverse pressure.

This installation does not always provide adequate strainer cleaning when fibrous
material is present in the flush water. Thus, consideration should be given to the
expected piping debris when this type of installation is considered.

6.0 STRAINER MESH EFFECTIVENESS

Pumps may have diametric internal running clearances from 0.020 inch to as little as
0.012 inch, which is a radius of 0.010 to 0.006 inch. This is not a practical mesh size
because the strainer would plug up very rapidly. In some cases startup strainers are
furnished with a pump and their size is determined by the pump manufacturer.

To evaluate the effectiveness of the strainer mesh, it is necessary to ascertain the


largest particle that the strainer will pass. This is done as outlined in the following
example:

a. For No. 8 steel wire strainer mesh using 0.063-inch wire, there are eight
0.063 inch wires per lineal inch and 64 squares per square inch.

b. The obstruction caused by eight wires in 1 inch of length equals:

8(0.063) inch = 0.504 inch

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c. The unobstructed portion per inch of length equals:

1.000 - 0.504 = 0.496 inch

d. The largest opening of each individual unit of mesh is a square with a side
dimension of:

0.496/8 = 0.062 inch

e. The net free opening per square inch of mesh equals:

0.062 x 0.062 x 64 = 0.246 square inch

f. Spherical particles having a diameter of 0.062 inch or less can pass


through the strainer and enter the pump.

7.0 STRAINER MANUFACTURERS/MATERIALS

Several companies specialize in the manufacture of pipe strainers for general use.
A catalog is available upon request from:

Mack Iron Works Company


124 Warren St.
Sandusky, Ohio 44871
Telephone: 419-626-6225

or their West Coast representative:

G. Hardy Company
P.O. Box 1893
Tustin, CA 92681
Telephone: 714-647-0542

Newark Wire Cloth Company


351 Verona Avenue
Newark, NJ 07104
Telephone: 201-483-7700

Various combinations of screen material are used for maximum screening effect.
Materials of plate or wire may be either of carbon steel or stainless as required by
the application, with stainless preferred for more critical uses (e.g., boiler feed pump,
condensate pump, hotwell box strainers) where the strainer screen may be subject
to rusting. Other available materials are cadmium-plated carbon steel, aluminum,
brass, bronze, copper, monel, Hastelloy, and titanium.
lephone: 804-965-0505

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FIGURE 1
CONICAL-SMALL APEX-PREFERRED INSTALLATION

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FIGURE 2
WIRE BASKET-CONICAL-LARGE APEX-NORMAL FLOW

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FIGURE 3
CONICAL-POINTED APEX-REVERSE FLOW

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FIGURE 4
CONDENSATE PUMP IN-LINE STRAINER

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FIGURE 5
CONDENSATE PUMP CONDENSER HOTWELL BOX STRAINER
(ELEVATION VIEW)

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FIGURE 6
FLAT OR PANCAKE STRAINER

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FIGURE 7
DEAIRATOR/TANK OUTLET STRAINER

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FIGURE 8
DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE GAUGE ARRANGEMENT

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FIGURE 9
STRAINER BACKFLUSH INSTALLATION

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