[Query] Criteria Of Piping Steaming-Out
[Query] Criteria Of Piping Steaming-Out
(OP)
Nice to meet professional engineers in Eng-tips. I am now working in refinery of South Korea. It is second year as a operation engineer so there are a lot of query to deal with about refinery.
As one of them, I got a question about a criteria of Piping steaming-out
As far as I know, There are two main purpose of piping steaming-out.
1. O2 freeing 2. Hydrocarbon stripping
In the case of O2 freeing criteria, it is commonly known as a rule of thumbs that O2 freeing is applied about 5-6 times of system volume. Do you know the criteria for hydro-carbon stripping? Any reference or rule of thumbs would be appreciated. Thank you in advance for your answers.
As one of them, I got a question about a criteria of Piping steaming-out
As far as I know, There are two main purpose of piping steaming-out.
1. O2 freeing 2. Hydrocarbon stripping
In the case of O2 freeing criteria, it is commonly known as a rule of thumbs that O2 freeing is applied about 5-6 times of system volume. Do you know the criteria for hydro-carbon stripping? Any reference or rule of thumbs would be appreciated. Thank you in advance for your answers.





RE: [Query] Criteria Of Piping Steaming-Out
RE: [Query] Criteria Of Piping Steaming-Out
Make sure that if the steam-out can generate a vacuum in the piping system, the system can structurally withstand the vacuum generated by condensation without piping damage or collapse.
I have worked on the repair of several "thin-walled" systems that had collapsed because field test people didn't understand the dangers of steamout.
IMHO Generally speaking you should be concerned with:
- Schedule 10S piping larger than 14 inches
- Schedule 40 piping larger than 20 inches
- All expansion joints
Anybody else have rules of thumb ????
MJCronin
Sr. Process Engineer
RE: [Query] Criteria Of Piping Steaming-Out
MJCronin
Sr. Process Engineer
RE: [Query] Criteria Of Piping Steaming-Out
RE: [Query] Criteria Of Piping Steaming-Out
The end point is determined by explosive gas content at the outlet.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube
RE: [Query] Criteria Of Piping Steaming-Out
As per my experience steam is the best way really to clean pipes and vessel from chemicals, water soluble inorganics and hydrocarbons. Steam is much better than N2 even in cleaning pipes and vessel from H2S in sour weater service. We seek to provide steam utility connection for every pipe and permanent blinded steam-out connection for a vessel. We provide steam utility connection even for cooling water headers is there exists a risk of hydrocarbon contamination caused by HX internal leakage.