Role of Process Piping in Critical Industries: Oil & Gas, Chemicals & Pharma

 

Process piping plays a vital role in many industries facilitating the transport of liquids and gases in the industrial piping systems. Process piping systems are of key importance when it comes to the safety and efficiency of industrial processes.

With time, as industry systems adopt ever-modern practices and integrate the latest technology, such as 3D BIM modeling, into their processes, process piping is becoming an essential component to power various functional practices to deliver safe, efficient, and industry-compliant operations.

 

What is Process Piping?

Process piping in the industrial framework refers to a system of interconnected pipes, valves, fittings, and other components that are brought together to create a piping system to transport industrial liquids, gas, and other process materials across the facility. Piping design or the network of connected pipes can vary dramatically depending on the type and size of the operation and the materials it needs to transport.

A process piping system is designed by MEP professionals or piping engineers who plan and implement the design, manufacture, install, and maintain the piping network to support the requirements of the industrial facilities. A process piping services company with experience working with different piping designs and workflows can offer sustainable and competent solutions for different industries.

Difference Between Process Piping and Power Piping

Process piping and power piping have different purposes, applications, and utilities to cater to. The primary differences can be referred to as:

1. Process piping is meant for transporting fluids, gases, and different chemicals throughout the industrial facility while power piping is meant to transfer high-temperature liquids and steam under intense pressure for power generation.
2. Process piping operates at lower pressures and temperatures while power piping operates at high pressures and temperatures.
3. Various materials such as stainless steel, plastic, or other common materials are used in process piping while in power piping materials such as carbon steel and alloy steel that have heavy duty industrial applications that can withstand high pressure are used.

General Codes and Standards for Process Piping Systems

Process piping systems need to be standardized across industrial frameworks and practicing protocols at all operating levels. These systems along with the in line components and the supporting technology need to ensure safety norms while also being reliable and quality-driven against the applicable building codes and compliance standards. Here are the broadly applicable and prevalent codes used in the industry:

ASME B31.3: This code of compliance governs the design, manufacturing, and operational engineering aspects of the process piping systems. It also validates and sets guidelines for covering materials, pressure-temperature ratings, pipe sizes, and other equipment and material resources.

ASTM Standards: These sets of standards look after a wide range of materials and test methods used in the manufacturing of piping material and pipe systems.

API 570: This industrial code focuses on the inspection, replacement, repair, and rerating of in-service piping systems specifically for the petroleum and chemical industries.

What is the Role of Process Piping in Safety-critical and Material-heavy Industries

Process piping plays a crucial role in building high-performance hyper-integrated piping systems for various industries like Oil & Gas, Chemicals, and Pharmaceuticals that use inflammable material and complex equipment as a part of routine industry practice. Process piping helps these facilities to operate efficiently, accurately, and safely throughout the line of operation through optimized piping network and service engineering.

Implementing the latest technology like BIM and employing data-intensive design considerations into the piping and plumbing systems, piping contractors and engineers are able to build the most efficient piping designs and models that deliver high-performance and safety-regulated industrial process piping systems.

Various industrial processes that are enabled by steam piping, fluid or gas flow, or other raw materials need to be designed differently to serve the purpose of the plant operations. This requires different piping materials and piping components and other materials to best support the specific industry standards and facility requirements.

These manufacturing and processing facilities with special requirements need to be dealt with selective and precise planning for industry piping. As the systems used in the plants and facilities for Oil & Gas, Chemicals, and Pharmaceuticals appoint many industrial operations going round-the-clock around hazardous elements that require complex engineering and precise material selection, it needs to build its operations on a flawless process piping solution.

This requires MEP design specialists to closely work with process piping engineers to work on high-performance process piping systems to support case-specific requirements for transporting liquids, gases, and vapors within the concerned industrial and commercial facilities.

With this, domain functionaries and service facilitators are able to deliver an industry-ready solution that best works in particular compliance practices and operational conditions. This is where the role of process piping and the supporting technology comes to play a pivotal role in building cohesive and flawless processes for safety-critical and material-intensive industries.

Process Piping in the Oil & Gas Industry

As the world is transitioning towards a more sustainable and cleaner source of energy, piping design is taking up a critical role in reinventing and revalidating the oil and gas industry processes. Not just it is important to ensure higher safety and efficiency of the manufacturing processes, but also to ensure that the infrastructure follows ecofriendly and energy-efficient practices throughout the process. It further promotes the appropriate use of materials and resources and enables proper insulation and design optimization throughout the process.

The quality of the process piping system is largely decided by the kind of pipe fittings and materials used. Here are some of the commonly used piping materials in the oil & gas industry:

• Carbon steel
• Alloy steel
• Low-temperature carbon steel
• Stainless steel
• Nickel Alloy
• Inconel
• Non-ferrous materials, such as Inconel, Monel, C276 Hastelloy, and Alloy59

Process Piping in the Chemical Industry

The chemical industry, at large, builds on the most hazardous materials and complex engineering practices. End-to-end logistics and transport planning for chemicals need a high-retention design. It needs to adopt a high-integrity process to keep it safe throughout the operations. This is where process piping systems for the chemical industry offer a highly competent solution to connect pipes to transport fluid for chemical processing keeping the entire arrangement spill-proof and corrosion-resistant.

Various materials that are used in the piping systems of the chemical industry can be typically identified as:

• Carbon steel
• Stainless steel
• Cast iron
• Ductile iron
• Non-ferrous metals, such as aluminum, copper, nickel and their alloys

Process Piping in the Pharmaceutical Industry

The need for strict regulatory compliances and ensuring product integrity and quality upheaves the necessity of the pharmaceutical processes to follow strict manufacturing standards. Therefore, it becomes important to have processes in place that facilitate meticulous cleaning and sterilization. This is where the role of process piping comes in to fulfill the need to deck up the entire system to induct, store, regulate, and transport materials in the facility to ensure meticulous planning and production in a pharma facility.

Piping systems in pharmaceuticals need to be highly efficient in carrying medical raw materials and fluids following strict practicing standards and measures. These materials help build compliant systems for the pharma industry:

• Carbon Steel
• Glass
• Stainless Steel
• High-grade polymers

Process Piping System FAQs

Q. What is process piping and why is it important in critical industries?

A. Process piping refers to the system of pipes, valves, and fittings that transport fluids, gases, or chemicals within industrial facilities. In critical industries like oil & gas, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals, process piping ensures the safe, efficient, and controlled movement of materials crucial for production processes.

Q. How do different materials affect the performance of process piping systems?

A. The performance of process piping depends on various factors, including the choice of materials like steel pipe, stainless steel, or cast iron. Each material offers different benefits in terms of corrosion resistance, heat transfer, and ability to handle high pressures, making it important to select the material that best suits the specific needs of the application and the fluids being transported.

Q. Why is corrosion resistance crucial in the design of piping systems in industries like oil & gas and chemicals?

A. Corrosion resistance is vital because pipes in these industries often transport natural gas, chemicals, and other fluids prone to causing damage over time. Stainless steel and other corrosion-resistant materials help prevent leaks, extend the lifespan of piping systems, and maintain operational safety.

Q. What role does process piping play in air conditioning and fluid flow management?

A. Process piping in air conditioning systems is responsible for the efficient transport of refrigerants and other fluids. Proper pipe size, right material selection, and apt system design are essential to ensure optimal fluid flow, reduce energy consumption, and maintain consistent temperature control within facilities.

Q. What role do process piping systems play in managing heat loss and pressure control in various industries?

A. Process piping systems are designed with various factors in mind, including pipe covering and insulation to reduce heat loss, maintain fluid temperature, and control pressure. This is essential in applications like air conditioning, power piping, and handling fine particles, ensuring stable operations across different facilities.