What is Piping: Definition and 51 Discussions

Within industry, piping is a system of pipes used to convey fluids (liquids and gases) from one location to another. The engineering discipline of piping design studies the efficient transport of fluid.Industrial process piping (and accompanying in-line components) can be manufactured from wood, fiberglass, glass, steel, aluminum, plastic, copper, and concrete. The in-line components, known as fittings, valves, and other devices, typically sense and control the pressure, flow rate and temperature of the transmitted fluid, and usually are included in the field of piping design (or piping engineering), though the sensors and automatic controlling devices may alternatively be treated as part of instrumentation and control design. Piping systems are documented in piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs). If necessary, pipes can be cleaned by the tube cleaning process.
Piping sometimes refers to piping design, the detailed specification of the physical piping layout within a process plant or commercial building. In earlier days, this was sometimes called drafting, technical drawing, engineering drawing, and design, but is today commonly performed by designers that have learned to use automated computer-aided drawing or computer-aided design (CAD) software.
Plumbing is a piping system with which most people are familiar, as it constitutes the form of fluid transportation that is used to provide potable water and fuels to their homes and businesses. Plumbing pipes also remove waste in the form of sewage, and allow venting of sewage gases to the outdoors. Fire sprinkler systems also use piping, and may transport nonpotable or potable water, or other fire-suppression fluids.
Piping also has many other industrial applications, which are crucial for moving raw and semi-processed fluids for refining into more useful products. Some of the more exotic materials used in pipe construction are Inconel, titanium, chrome-moly and various other steel alloys.

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  1. R

    Anode rods and their effect on steel piping

    Water heaters have a sacrificial anode rod inside of them to protect the steel tank. These rods are usually made of magnesium or aluminum, and sometimes zinc. Please note that zinc anodes are made of a combination of aluminum and zinc, 1 proportion of zinc to 10 proportions of aluminum. I...
  2. H

    How to calculate water pressure drop in cooling tower piping system?

    When calculating water pressure drop in chilled water pipisystem (closed circuit) we always use Hazen Williams equation as follow:- but in case of calculating water pressure drop in cooling tower piping system (open circuit), shall we modify something in Hazen Williams equation or shall we use...
  3. M

    How to advoid water condensation in compressed air piping

    Hello all, I'm having problems with my compressed air system. In the factory have some clean rooms with temperature are maintained around 23°C. The outside of clean rooms are normal condition (around 32°C). When i checked some air supply points outside. There were no water in compressed air. But...
  4. J

    ASME Piping Standards: Superheat Corrections & More

    The below website also other tech information i.e. I found while looking for Steam Superheat Corrections and they have a table of the ASME approved values that can be printed as well. http://www.piping-designer.com/index.php/standards/184-asme-standards
  5. B

    Non Corrosive pipes in compost

    So with our initial prototype for our anaerobic digester, we weren't able to sustain the right temperature inside the tanks. One idea we came up with is to use the heat from the compost bins that is only within 10-20 feet from our tanks. We plan to circulate the fluid inside the digestion tanks...
  6. R

    Piping and Instrumentation Diagram (Question)

    Hey everyone, I am an energy modeling engineer, and I would like to ask a question regarding a project I am working on. In the attached instrumentation diagram (and I also found this on AHU specification tables), what does it mean to have "air flow1/air flow2" (see figure). I deduce it is the...
  7. Roy S Ramirez

    How can I predict the flow rate for a real life water hose?

    Hello! I hope you are all doing well! I've been always intrigued by fluid mechanics and decided to try out a quick experiment with my water faucet. After using some equations I found online [1] [2], I plugged a hose to the faucet and let the water run. I filled a 1 quart bowl and recorded the...
  8. M

    Flow through piping (a highly viscous additive)

    Dear Members Good day to all. We recently installed a piping system to transfer a highly viscous additive from an ISO tank to another holding tank by using a mono screw/lobe pump. My question to you all is,the discharge size of the iso tank is 3 inches, will my flow be effected if i change the...
  9. R

    Hydraulic head as a function of flow rate

    Hello! 1. Homework Statement Symbols and variables: ##\dot{V}## : flow rate ##H## : Hydraulic head ##g = 9.81 \frac{N}{kg}## ##P_{atmosphere} = 101325Pa## ##\rho = 1000\frac{kg}{m^3}## I am given a piping system, with serie and parallel pipes, they start from one point and go back into one...
  10. M

    Sizing an Air System piping

    Hello, I have a Coen Duct burner system that requires a continuous flow of 120 scfm @ 5psi above duct pressure. Duct pressure is about 3 inwc. We have 6 pilots that will have a 1/2" inlet for the air. Our plant air system can supply 120psig and about 400 scfm. My issue is figuring out what...
  11. MexChemE

    Modeling a multiple inlet piping system

    Hello, PF! I’m trying to model a real piping system, which has multiple inlets and one outlet, so I can’t use Bernoulli’s equation. Instead, I’m planning to use the generalized macroscopic energy balances as shown in BSL, which allow for any number of inlets and outlets. However, first I want...
  12. P

    Steps to calculate Air Consumption of a Pneumatic System

    Hi there, I'm new to this forum and this is my first post so nice to meet you all! Since English is my second language, I apologize for some odd sentences. I'm a 4th year university student and currently has an internship in a Press Shop of a car manufacturer in Thailand. The project has been...
  13. David Gin

    Determing flow of a closed loop parallel pumping system

    Hi all, How would one go about determining the flow(GPM) of a closed loop parallel piping system. I believe this has to do with the pressure intake and outlet of the pump as I have a pump in the mentioned system rated at 4350GPM@50Hz but it is pumping at 4500 GPM at 37Hz, Thank you all for...
  14. E

    Heat Transfer calculation for Tank and piping system

    Having difficulty remembering how to model a simple heat transfer equation for a liquid tank/piping system and wondering if anyone can provide some quick help. I have a 1000L tank of water that is heated by a 1kW heater (target temp of 43°C). The piping system (outside of the tank), holds 100L...
  15. T

    Finding diameter in a piping system

    Homework Statement I am trying to find the diameter of two types of pipe in this systemHomework Equations ## \frac{p_1}{y} + \frac{V_1}{2g} + z_1 = \frac{p_2}{γ} + \frac{V_2}{2g} + z_2 + \frac{V_2}{2g} [ \frac{fL}{D} + K ]## The Attempt at a Solution The only flow rate I'm given is the one...
  16. S

    Can I Connect a Smaller Valve to a Varian M4 Diffusion Pump for Lower Costs?

    Hello all, I have a Varian M4 diffusion pump that has a 6 inch diameter opening at the top, is it okay for me to connect that to a reduced size opening like just 2 or 3 inches diameter so that I can use a smaller valve? I am only trying to pump down a cubic foot or two sized chamber. I am...
  17. M

    What is Super Piping? ASME B&PV Code Section III Subsection NB

    The pipe portion from top of steam generator up to containment isolation valve once I heard is called super piping due to number of penetrations in the pipe for safety and relief valves. Is this term correct? Class 1 piping are constructed according to ASME B&PV code section iii, subsection NB...
  18. W

    Demagnetizing Gas Piping: Safe Methods Explained

    < Mentor Note -- thread moved to HH from the technical engineering forums, so no HH Template is shown > Hello and thank you for your time, OK enough of that Question I have is (1) A gas pipe in-service 16" .375 wall X52 carbon pipe and has been depressurized & cold cut and to weld a new spool...
  19. E

    3D cad for piping and systems recommendation

    Hi everyone, as the title says, I am looking for a 3D cad to help visualise designs in piping systems and cut down errors. As a short background, I work in a small company which occasionally designs industrial gas pipings for pneumatic systems, gas delivery systems (to a lab, workshop, etc)...
  20. S

    Can a Steel Piping Cubic Bedframe Support Heavy Weight?

    Hi, so I'm currently trying to build a cubic bedframe out of metal pipes. The frame would essentially be a 7'x7'x5' rectangular prism (HxWxL, I.E. 7x5 being the base of it), with four 1' legs holding it up. However, I would like the top of the frame (The 7x5 square above the bed) to be able to...
  21. cpscdave

    Piping Heat Loss: Solving for Internal Temperature

    So I'm trying to figure out where a heat tracing program is getting some numbers. What I'm trying to figure out is how the program calculates the internal temperature of the tracing lines. What I know is the k value of the insulation 0.0215 watts per metre*degree I know the temperature...
  22. M

    Inexpensive Electronic Instantaneous PVC Piping Air Valve

    My boss has a boat load of extra PVC piping laying around the shop and I wanted to use it to make a pipe organ. I need a way to electronically open and close the connections from each individual pipe to the main air supply. I'm on a tight budget and I'll need to make 88 valves in total. I have...
  23. R

    Piping System Design Problem Solution

    1. Homework Statement Piping System Design Problem The design of a piping system is required to deliver chilled water to a four-story engineering design office building. The chiller is to be placed in the basement of the building. Chilled water is to be delivered to the air handling units...
  24. S

    Grounding PVC Piping: Advice for Flammable Gas Transfer

    I am looking to use a PVC pump to push a flammable, explosive gas of minimal gage pressure (3 mbar) between two rooms. I chose PVC because it is non sparking, but I am concerned about static electricity build up. The pump will be used for 10 minutes at a time in a portable application, I am...
  25. N

    Thermodynamics - Calculate power and dimensions of piping

    Homework Statement 500 kg/hr of steam drives a turbine. The steam enters the turbine at 60 bara and 500C at a linear velocity of 5.0 m/s. After driving a set of turbine wheels to generate shaft power, the steam exhausts from a pipe that is 10 m below the entrance pipe at 35.0 m/s and at 2.5...
  26. R

    Piping pressure head estimation

    Say there's a pipe that pumps a liquid that empties into an elevated tank The discharge end of the pipe is 5 m higher up than the suction but it goes over an intermediate obstacle, say, 20 m higher than suction level. Is the pump head requirement 5m or 20m? I'm confused. My gut feeling...
  27. F

    Closed piping system question

    Hello everyone, Say I have a closed loop comprised of a pump and some piping which connects the inlet of the pump to the outlet of the pump. All of the piping has radius "a," except for a small section, which constricts to radius "b" for a small portion of the line (the inlet and outlet...
  28. J

    What Does Piping Whiplash Mean?

    Hey everyone! Could you please explain to me what the term "piping whiplash" stands for? It is a very rare combination in the google search, but we have encountered this term in our translations. Thanks
  29. T

    Hydraulic high pressure piping project

    dear friend i am hydraulic high pressure piping project. but i not aware of calculations and formulas so can anyone tell me "how to select & buy a correct material grade for the high pressure pipe . i know the values 1. max pressure with stand = 25,000 PSI 2.Minimum Inner Dia :10-13 mm...
  30. L

    Water dynamics, well piping help

    I would like to pipe a water well ( using gravity alone) with a 250m run and an overall fall of 3m. A large barrier (a hill) is middle ways . The last 100m down the hill has most ,if not all the fall. The question is if I pipe this last 100m with a larger diameter (from 3/4" going to 1") would...
  31. K

    Restrictive piping and water flow

    Hi, new to the forum and I'm looking for some help with water flow problem. I have a geothermal heating system. However, when installed a regular hot water tank was used to act as a buffer/holding tank to heat my floor. My question to anyone that can help is this; The manufacturer recommends...
  32. A

    Piping from Home: Get a Job Now!

    how to get a piping job from home?
  33. E

    How to calculate thermal exchange rate of water inside Pex piping.

    How can I figure out how to calculate the heat/cooling exchange rate of water inside pex tubing? I want to build a ground source cooling system simular to a chiller system but I want a closed loop system. My game plan is to pump ground water into a holding tank that is constantly flowing ground...
  34. D

    Fluids design problem - piping layout

    Homework Statement The picture is what the prof. gave us. It isn't the most understandable but I will try my best to describe what's going on. As the picture shows it is a top view of the layout. The big blob on the left is a large reservoir where elevation is not needed. v, v1, v2, v3 are...
  35. E

    Piping stress Analysis for Cooling Water Circuit (Supply/Return)

    Dear Fellows, Well, i am working on a power plant and i need to analyse the Cooling Water Piping Circuit (Supply/Return piping), i.e., from Turbine Surface Condenser to Cooling Towers and from Cooling Water Pumps to Turbine Surface Condenser. The Lines are huge around 52" NPS and are buried...
  36. N

    How can I effectively interpret piping drawings for process PID systems?

    Dear all... Pls advise me how to read and understand piping drawings (process PID drawings)... I mean how does fluid flow and what process are running there. I am doing physics and I have quite good technical background. When interpreting electrical circuits we are having nodes with defind...
  37. S

    Calculating the natural frequency of a piping system

    I'm calculating the natural frequency of a piping system that is spanning between two points, the formula is the square route of various terms, including the effective axial force in the piping. This is taken from a design code, see below: f = C * SQRT[(E.I/M.L^4)(1+Seff/Pcr+C.(d/D)^2] C =...
  38. R

    Piping Anchor Force due to Thermal Expansion

    Hey guys, I've got an L-bend of pipe carrying hot water that I'm trying to analyze. I've been using the ASHRAE and MechE Handbook of Calculation methods to determine the forces on the anchors due to thermal expansion, but I'm arriving at very different numbers. Here are my specs: An 8"...
  39. S

    Piping material specifications (PMs)

    Dear Engineers I am very curious to know about Piping material specifications (PMs) . How can I select the appropriate material for components which is used in piping? For example we use A106 Gr B for vapour pipes or A105 for flanges and A105/A234 for fittings less/bigger than 2". Now I want...
  40. S

    Piping material specification(PMS)

    Dear Engineers I am very curious to know about Piping material specifications (PMs) . How can I select the appropriate material for components which is used in piping? For example we use A106 Gr B for vapour pipes or A105 for flanges and A105/A234 for fittings less/bigger than 2". Now I want...
  41. F

    System head curve for tree piping system

    as we know to draw the system curve of a piping system we have to change the value of Q total and get a head for each value we put in the following equation : H=Hstatic +Kq^2 where K is the sum of major and minor losses. what if we have a piping system that have many branches "tree -system"...
  42. D

    Calculate 90 Degree Pipe Elbow Centroid with Excel or MathCAD

    Looking for 90 degree pipe elbow centroid Excel or MathCAD calculation.
  43. K

    Underground Piping for a house

    Hello everyone, I appreciate any help you can provide me in this project. Here is what I need to know... How much pipe (probably some form of poly ethelene) do I need to bury to reduce the temperature of the water inside? My input temperature should be about 70. Output desired is 60...
  44. O

    Piping commands with redirection

    Homework Statement Hi there, So I am working on this assignment where the user is supposed to input a variety of UNIX commands and they must behave as if one typed it into the terminal. My current problem lies with when a user tries to redirect the inputted commands to some file. Currently...
  45. A

    Piping Max Working Pressure

    What is the maximum working pressure of 3" diameter schedule 80S piping at an operating temperature of 100 deg celcius. According to my piping tables it is 262 Barg, ,but i want to know if this pressure can be exceeded and still comply with ASME B31.3 Also what is the safety factor in the design.
  46. A

    What are the Essential Drawings for Piping and Mechanical Engineers?

    Dear Engineers, I am Noorul Aman. I am a mechanical engineer in the field of PIPING AND CONST/ARCI. Here I want to shear whatever I gather the information about engineering field with you. Piping/Mechanical Design Drawings GENERAL The primary drawings that a Piping/Mechanical Field...
  47. E

    Piping stress analysis problem - help please

    Piping stress analysis problem -- help please well, hi all of you, well i am new to this forum but here is why i am here : ) the problem is: a rod of certain length is fixed at one end, the other end of the rod is attached to a spring of stiffness k, then rod temperature is increased and the...
  48. A

    Liquid Sodium Cooling Loop Piping Material

    What materials can be used for the piping in liquid sodium cooling loops (primary and secondary) and for the heat exchanger?
  49. J

    Thermal Expansion on Piping Systems

    Can anyone offer a literature reference regarding thermal expansion of piping systems? I am interested in reading up on how the use of a linear coefficient compares with using an area coefficient when accounting for diameter expansion. Thanks.
  50. J

    How Is Piping Design Implemented in Unigraphics?

    Can someone explain how piping design is done using Unigraphics
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