Chapter 3
PIPING AND VESSELS
OBJECTIVES
• Describe a vessel specification sheet.
• Describe the various vessels found in a process plant.
• Describe the different types of process piping.
• Explain the factors that influence the selection of materials used to construct a vessel.
ANSWERS TO CHAPTER 3 REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. What type of shut off does a paddle blind provide? Answer: Blinds are one of the main
2. What two types of blinds do we use? Answer: Paddle blind and figure eight.
3. How does increased temperature affect the performance of metals? Answer: Generally,
4. Why are brass tubes used instead of carbon steel in many heat exchangers that use water
as the cooling medium? Answer: Brasses are widely used because of their resistance to
5. What metal would you use for a vessel containing noncorrosive material at 100 psig and
300˚F? Answer: Low carbon steel, is a very satisfactory material for most plant
6. What is a nonferrous alloy? Answer: When a metal or alloy does not contain iron or has it
7. Would you use brass, stainless steel, or hasteloy in a hot, extremely corrosive process?
Answer: Hasteloy. See Nickel alloys.
8. What information do process technicians find on vessel design sheets? Answer: Identifies
9. What is an alloy steel? Answer: Steels that contain alloy. Small amounts of alloying
elements like; Molybdenum or chromium in quantities as small as one-half percent
10. What is corrosion, and how is it manifested? Answer: Corrosion deteriorates equipment,
interrupts production, and causes accidents. Corrosion attack manifests itself in many ways
11. What factors determine how thick a vessels walls should be? Answer: Essentially, the
thickness of pressure retaining equipment depends on the following:
• Diameter of the pipe, vessel, exchanger, etc.
12. What factors determine which material is best for vessel construction? Answer: The
13. What is corrosion allowance? Answer: The amount of corrosion a system designer
14. What is the normal operating temperature range for vessels constructed of carbon steel?
15. What metals are used for extremely low temperatures (below minus 150˚F)? Answer:
16. Describe the various inspection procedures used in a process plant. Answer: Visual
inspection is the method most generally used. Experienced inspectors to estimate the metal
17. List the various types of vessels found in a process unit. Answer: Distillation column,
18. List the important facts associated with pipe size and diameter. Answer: Most pipe used in
plants is: 1/2”, 3/4”, 1”, 1 1/2”, 2”, 3”, 4”, 6”, 8”, 10”, 12”, and 14” and higher. When a
pipe’s nominal size is 3”, the inside diameter of the pipe is 3”. A 3” pipe for example may
19. List the four distinct categories for aboveground storage tanks. Answer: Tanks can be
20. List the different types of tanks utilized in the chemical processing industry. Answer: Cone
21. Explain how process technicians clean residue out of a pipeline. Answer: Process
22. Describe cathodic protection. Answer: The base of any aboveground storage tank is
23. List the basic components of a floating-roof tank. Answer: See Figure 3.4 Floating Roof
24. Compare modern and traditional diking methods. Answer: A dike is best described as a
25. Compare the terms “breathing” and “gas–blanketed tank.” Answer: In general, gas-blanketed
tanks are similar to other types of fixed-roof tanks except that they are equipped with a