PIPING INTERVIEW QUESTIONNAIRE

COMPRESSORS

1. What are the types of compressors?

Ans : Positive Displacement, Centrifugal and Axial, rotary screw, rotary
vane, rotary lobe, dynamic, liquid ring compressors.

2. What are types of compressor drives?

Ans : Electric motor, gas turbine, steam turbine and gas engine.

3. How Centrifugal compressors work ?

Ans : Highspeed impellers increase the kinetic energy of the gas,
converting this energy into higher pressures in a divergent outlet passage
called a diffuser. Large volume of gas at moderate pressure.

4. What are types of steam turbine and why are they popular?
Ans : Condensing and non-condensing, Popular because can convert
large amounts of heat energy into mechanical work very efficiently.

5. Where gas turbine drive is used ?

Ans : Desserts and offshore platforms where gas is available, for gas
transmission, gas lift, liquid pumping, gas re-injection and process
compressors.

6. What are the auxillary equipments of compressor?

Ans : Lube oil consoles, Seal oil consoles, Surface condensers,
Condensate pump, Air blowers, Inlet air filters, Wast heat system,
compressor suction drum, knock out pot, Pulsation dampner, volume
bottles, Inter and after coolers.

7. What are the types of seal oil system?

Ans : Gravity and pressurized.

8. What factors to be considered while designing compressor housing?

Ans : Operation, Maintenance, Climate conditions, Safety, Economics.

9. What are the compressor housing design points?

Ans : Floor elevation, building width, building elevation, hook centerline
elevation.

10. What are the types of compressor cases?

Ans : Horizontal split case, Vertical split case.

11. What are compressor suction line requirements ?

Ans : Minimum 3D straight pipe between elbow and inlet nozzle,
increases based on inlet piping layout. 4D

12. What are necessary parts of inlet line of compressor?

Ans : Block Valve, Strainer, Break out flanges in both inlet and outlet to
remove casing covers, Straightening vane in inlet line if not enough
straight piece in inlet line available, PSV in interstage line and in
discharge line before block valve.

13. What points to be considered for reciprocating compressor piping

layout?
Ans : High pulsation, simple line as low to grade as possible for
supporting, analog study, all branches close to line support and on top,
Isolate line support from adjacent compressor or building foundations

14. What are the types of compressor shelters?

Ans : On ground with no shelter, Open sided structure with a roof,
Curtain wall structure (Temperate climates), Open elevated installation,
Elevated multicompressor structure.
DRUMS

15. What are drum internals?

Ans : Demister pads, Baffles, Vortex breakers, Distribution piping.

16. What are drum elevation requirements?

Ans : NPSH, minimum clearance, common platforming, maintenance,
operator access.

17. What are drum supports?

Ans : Skirt for large drums, legs, lugs, saddles for horizontal drums.

18. What are necessary nozzles for non-pressure vessel?

Ans : Inlet, outlet, vent, manhole, drain, overflow, agitator, temperature
element, level instrument, and steamout connection.

19. What are necessary nozzles for pressure vessel?

Ans : Inlet, outlet, manhole, drain, pressure relief, agitator, level guage,
pressure gauge, temperature element, vent and for steamout.

20. What is preferred location for level instrument nozzles?

Ans : Away from the turbulence at the liquid outlet nozzle, although the
vessel is provided with a vortex breaker, instrument should be set in the
quiet zone of the vessel for example on the opposite side of the weir or
baffle or near the vapor outlet end.

21. What is preferred location for process nozzles on drum?

Ans : Minimum from the tangent line.

22. What is preferred location for steam out nozzle on drum?

Ans : At the end opposite to the maintenance access.

23. What is preferred location for vent ?

Ans : AT the top section of drum at the end opposite the steam out
connecton.

24. What is preferred location for pressure instrument nozzle on drum?

Ans : Must be anywhere in the vapor space, preferable at the top section
of drum

25. What is preferred location for temperature instrument?

Ans : Must be in liquid space, preferably on the bottom section of drum.

26. What is preferred location for drain?

Ans : Must be located at the bottom section of drum.

Piperacks - General

whenever possible the Piperack shall be single level. On single level pipe racks, process piping shall be placed
outsides with utility and service piping on the middle. Where multilevel racks are required, generally process lines
shall be placed on the lower rack levels, and utility and service piping shall be placed on the upper rack level.
However, draining considerations shall be taken into account when placing process lines on multilevel racks, by
applying the following rules of thumb:
 If both ends of a process line are lower than the lower level, the line should be run in the lower level.

Process lines that connect two nozzles elevated higher than the top level should be located in the top level.

Process lines having one end lower than the lower level can run in either the lower or upper level.

Specific elevations shall be established and maintained for lines running the north/south direction, and different
elevations for lines running east/west. North/south and east/west pipe racks shall intersect midway between deck
levels. At every change of direction the piping should change elevation, but care should be taken to minimise
pockets.

Sloping lines may be supported on the side of rack.

Piping should enter from above or below the rack level. Piping should not flat turn on or off the rack closing out
space for installation of future lines. Lines requiring expansion loops should be located close to piperack columns
and should be grouped together to enable use of common supports.

Onshore piping laid on sleepers at grade shall have minimum clearance of 400mm between bottom of pipe and
finished grade.

Piping carrying caustic materials, chemicals, acids or similar services shall not be located near equipment or other
piping with service temperatures exceeding 95C and where avoidable should not be run over escape routes.

Piping smaller than DN50 shall not be run in pipe racks or sleeper ways. Where pipe sizes on racks require a
support spacing which is less than the bent spacing, intermediate support beams shall be installed. Generally, small
piping shall not be supported from larger piping. On sleeper ways, sleepers shall be spaced to suit the pipe
requiring the smallest support span, but should not be spaced less than 3000mm apart.

Hot insulated lines should be grouped together and separated from cold lines.

Electrical and Instrument Cable trays will normally be run in or off the side of the piperacks. Piping Designers shall
liaise with these disciplines to allocate these areas. Cable trays systems shall be kept away from hot lines.

TOWERS

7. What are crude oil ranges?

Ans : Crude oil BP Range: 100F-1400F, lightest material: Butene below
100F, Heavier materials- upto 800F, Residue above 800F.

8. What is batch shell process?

Ans : feed, heat,condense,heat more,condense, low quality.

9. What are types of towers?

Ans : Stripper, Vacuum tower, trayed, packed towers.

10. What is chimney tray?

Ans : Its a solid plate with central chimney section, used at drawoff
sections of the tower.

11. What factors to consider while setting tower elevation?

Ans : NPSH, Operator access, Maintenance access, Minimum clearance,
reboiler type , common area, type of support, Tower dimensions, type of
head, bottom outlet size, foundation details, minimum clearances.

12. How to located tower maintenance access nozzles ?

Ans : At bottom, top and intermediate sections of tower, must not be at
the downcomer section of tower and in front of internal piping.

13. How to located feed nozzle ?

Ans : Must be oriented in specific area of tray by means of internal
piping.

14. How to located temperature and pressure instruments ?

Ans : Temperature in liquid space, at downcomer side and pressure in
vapor space, in area except downcomer sector.

VALVE:
1. What are the steps in selection of valve?
Ans : What to handle, liquid, gas or powder, fluid nature, function,
construction material, disc type, stem type, how to operate, bonnet type,
body ends, delivery time, cost, warranty.
2. What are functions of valves?
Ans : Isolation, regulation, non-return and special purposes.
3. What are isolating valves?
Ans : Gate, ball, plug, piston, diaphragm, butterfly, pinch.
4. What are regulation valves?
Ans : Globe, needle, butterfly, diaphragm, piston, pinch.
5. What are non-return valves?
Ans : check valve,
6. What are special valves?
Ans : multi-port, flush bottom, float, foot, pressure relief, breather.
7. What materials are used for construction of valves?
Ans : Cast iron, bronze, gun metal, carbon steel, stainless steel, alloy
carbon steel, polypropylene and other plastics, special alloys.
8. What is trim?
Ans : Trim is composed of stem, seat surfaces, back seat bushing and
other small internal parts that normally contact the surface fluid.
9. Which standard specifies trim numbers for valve ?
Ans : API 600.
10. What are wetted parts of valve?
Ans : All parts that come in contact with surface fluid are called wetted
parts.
11. What is wire drawing?
Ans : This term is used to indicate the premature erosion of the valve
seat caused by excessive velocity between seat and seat disc, when valve
is not closed tightly.
12. What is straight through valve?
Ans : Valve in which the closing operation of valve is achieved by
90degrees turn of the closing element.
13. What pressure tests are carried out on valves?
Ans : Shell-hydrostatic, seat-hydrostatic, seat-pneumatic
14. What are available valve operators?
Ans : Handlever, handwheel, chain operator, gear operator, powered
operator likes electric motor, solenoid, pneumatic and hydraulic
operators, Quick acting operators for non-rotary valves (handle lift).
15. What are two types of ball valve?
Ans : Full port design and regular port design, according to type of seat,
soft seat and metal seat.
16. What are ball valve body types?
Ans : Single piece, double piece, three piece, the short pattern, long
pattern, sandwitch and flush bottom design.
17. Why ball valves are normally flanged?
Ans : Because of soft seat PTFE which can damage during welding.
18. What are butterfly valve types?
Ans : Double flange type, wafer lug type and wafer type.
19. What are types of check valve?
Ans : Lift check valves and swing check valves.
20. What are non-slam check valves?
Ans : Swing check valve, conventional check valve, wafer check valve,
tilting disc check valve, piston check valve, stop check valve, ball check
valve.
21. Where stop check valve is used ?
Ans : In stem generation by multiple boilers, where a valve is inserted
between each boiler and the main steam header. It can be optionally
closed automatically or normally.
22. Where diaphragm valves are used ?
Ans : Used for low pressure corrosive services as shut off valves.
23. What is Barstock Valve?
Ans: Any valve having a body machined from solid metal (barstock).
Usually needle or globe type.
24. What is BIBB Valve?
Ans: A small valve with turned down end, like a faucet.
25. What is Bleed Valve?
Ans: Small valve provided for drawing off liquid.

26. What is BlowDown Valve?

Ans Refers to a plug type disc globe valve used for removing sludge and
sedimentary matter from the bottom of boiler drums, vessels, driplegs
etc.
27. What is Breather Valve?
Ans: A special self acting valve installed on storage tanks etc. to release
vapor or gas on slight increase of internal pressure ( in the region of to
3 ounces per square inch).
28. What is Drip Valve?
Ans: A drain valve fitted to the bottom of a driplet to permit blowdown.
29. What is Flap Valve?
Ans: A non return valve having a hinged disc or rubber or leather flap
used for low pressure lines.
30. What is Hose Valve?
Ans: A gate or globe valve having one of its ends externally threaded to
one of the hose thread standards in use in the USA. These valves are
used for vehicular and firewater connections.
31. What is Paper-Stock Valve?
Ans: A single disc single seat gate valve (Slide gate) with knife edged or
notched disc used to regulate flow of paper slurry or other fibrous slurry.
32. What is Root Valve?
Ans: A valve used to isolate a pressure element or instrument from a line
or vessel, or a valve placed at the beginning of a branch form the
header.
33. What is Slurry valve?
Ans: A knife edge valve used to control flow of non-abrasive slurries.
34. What is Spiral sock valve?
Ans: A valve used to control flow of powders by means of a twistable
fabric tube or sock.
35. What is Throttling valve?
Ans: Any valve used to closely regulate flow in the just-open position.
36. What is Vacuum breaker?
Ans: A special self-acting valve or nay valve suitable for vacuum service,
operated manually or automatically, installed to admit gas (usually
atmospheric air) into a vacuum or low-pressure space. Such valves are
installed on high points of piping or vessels to permit draining and
sometimes to prevent siphoning.
37. What is Quick acting valve ?
Ans: Any on/off valve rapidly operable, either by manual lever, spring or
by piston, solenoid or lever with heat-fusible link releasing a weight which
in falling operates the valve. Quick acting valves are desirable in lines
conveying flammable liquids. Unsuitable for water or for liquid service in
general without a cushioning device to protect piping from shock.
38. What is diverting valve ?
Ans : This valve switch flow from one main line to two different outlets.
WYE type and pneumatic control type with no moving part.
39. What is sampling valve?
Ans : Usually of needle or globe pattern, placed in branch line for the
purpose of drawing all samples of process material thru the branch.
40. What are blow off valve?
Ans : It is a variety of globe valve confirming with boiler code
requirements and specially designed for boiler blowoff service. WYE
pattern and angle type, used to remove air and other gases from boilers
etc.
41. What is relief valve?
Ans : Valve to relieve excess pressure in liquids in situations where full
flow discharge is not required, when release of small volume of liquid
would rapidly lower pressure.
42. What is safety valve?
Ans : Rapid opening(popping action) full flow valve for air and other
gases.
43. What is foot valve?
Ans : Valve used to maintain a head of water on the suction side of sump
pump, basically a lift check valve with integrated strainer.
44. What is float valve?
Ans : Used to control liquid level in tanks, operated by float, which rises
with liquid level and opens the valve to control water level. It can also
remove air from system, in which case, air flows out of system in valve
open condition, but when water reaches valve, float inside valve raises to
close the valve and stop flow of water. Used in drip legs.
45. What are flush bottom valves?
Ans : Special type of valves used to drain out the piping, reactors and
vessels, attached on pad type nozzles.
46. What are types of flush bottom valves?
Ans : Valves with discs opening into the tank and valves with disks into
the valve.
47. What are the uses of three-way valve?
Ans : Alternate connection of the two supply lines to a common delivery
vise versa, isolating one safety valve, division of flow with isolation
facility.
48. What are uses of four way valve?
Ans : Reversal of pump suction and delivery, By pass of strainer or
meter, reversal of flow through filter, heat exchanger or dryer.
49. What is metal seated lubricated plug valve?
Ans : A plug valve with no plastic material, where grease is applied to
contacting surfaces for easy operation.
50. What are three patterns of plug valve design?
Ans : Regular pattern, short pattern and ventury pattern.

51. What is regular pattern plug valve?

Ans : Rectangular port, area almost equal to pipe bore, smooth transition
from round body to rectangular port, for minimum pressure loss.
52. What are short pattern plug valve?
Ans : Valves with face to face dimension of gate valve, as a alternative to
gate valve.
53. What are ventury pattern plug valve?
Ans : Change of section through the body throat so graded to have
ventury effect, minimum pressure loss.
54. What are inverted plug design valve?
Ans : Plug valve with taper portion up of plug. For 8 and higher size.
55. What is pressure balanced plug valve?
Ans : With holes in port top and bottom connecting two chambers on top
and bottom of plug, to reduce turning effort.
56. What are Teflon sleeved plug valve?
Ans : PTFE sleeve between plug and body of valve, low turning effort,
minimum friction, temperature limitation, anti static design possible.
57. What are permasil plug valve?
Ans : Plug valves with Teflon seat instead of sleeves, for on off
applications, can handle clean viscous and corrosive liqiuids, Graphite seat
for high temperature applications. Drip tight shut off not possible.
58. What are eccentric plug valve?
Ans : Off center plug, corrosive and abrasive service, on off action,
moves into and away from seat eliminating abrasive wear.
59. What is dimensional standard for plug valve?
Ans : API 599.
60. What is pinch valve?
Ans : Similar to diaphragm valve, with sleeves of rubber or PTFE, which
get sqeezed to control or stop the flow, Cast iron body, for very low
service pressures like isolation of hose connections, manufacture
standard.
61. What is needle valve?
Ans :Full pyramid disc, same design as globe valve, smaller sizes, sw or
threaded, flow control, disc can be integral with stem, inside screw,
borged or barstock body and bonnet, manufacturers standard.
62. How to install a globe valve ?
Ans : Globe valve should be installed such that the flow is from the
underside of the disk, Usually flow direction is marked on the globe valve.
63. What are globe valve port types?
Ans : Full port: More than 85% of bore size, Reducer port: One size less
than the connected pipe.
64. What are globe valve disk types?
Ans :Flat faced type for positive shutoff, loose plug type for plug renewal
or needle type for finer control.
65. What are characteristics of globe valve stem?
Ans : Always rising design, with disk nut at the lower end and handwheel
at upper end.
66. What are types of globe valve?
Ans : Angle globe valve, plug type disc globe valve, wye-body globe
valve, composite disc globe valve, double disc globe valve.
67. What is angle globe valve?
Ans : Ends at 90 degree to save elbow, higher pressure drop.
68. Where plug type disc globe valve is used?
Ans : For severe regulating service with gritty liquids such as boiler
feedwater and for blow off service.
69. Where WYE body globe valve is used ?
Ans : In line ports with stem emerging at 45 degree, for erosive fluids
due to smoother flow pattern.
70. What is double disc globe valve ?
Ans : Has two discs bearing on separate seats spaced apart, on a single
shaft, for low torque, used for control valves.
71. What are port types for gate valves?
Ans : Full port and reduced port. Default is reduced bore. Full port has to
be specified in bom.
72. How to close a gate valve ?
Ans :Turn the handwheel in clockwise direction.
73. What is lantern ring?
Ans : Its a collection point to drain off any hazardous seepages or as a
point where lubricant can be injected, it is in the middle of packing rings.
74. What are types of gate valves?
Ans : Solid plane wedge, solid flexible wedge, split wedge, double disc
paralles seats, double disc wedge, single disc single seat gate or slide,
single disc parallel seats, plug gate valve.
75. What are the types of bonnets?
Ans : Bolted bonnet, bellow sealed bonnet, screwed on bonnet, union
bonnets, A U-bolt and clamp type bonnet, breechlock bonnet, pressure
seal bonnet.

PIPING JOINTS

Joint design and selection can have a major impact on the initial installed cost, the
long-range operating and maintenance cost, and the performance of the piping
system. Factors that must be considered in the joint selection phase of the project
design include material cost, installation labor cost, degree of leakage integrity
required, periodic maintenance requirements, and specific performance requirements.
In addition, since codes do impose some limitations on joint applications,
joint selection must meet the applicable code requirements. In the paragraphs that
follow, the above-mentioned considerations will be briefly discussed for a number
of common pipe joint configurations.

Butt-welded Joints

Butt-welding is the most common method of joining piping used in large commercial,
institutional, and industrial piping systems. Material costs are low, but labor costs
are moderate to high due to the need for specialized welders and fitters. Long term
leakage integrity is extremely good, as is structural and mechanical strength.
The interior surface of a butt-welded piping system is smooth and continuous which
results in low pressure drop. The system can be assembled with internal weld
backing rings to reduce fit-up and welding costs, but backing rings create internal
crevices, which can trap corrosion products. In the case of nuclear piping systems,
these crevices can cause a concentration of radioactive solids at the joints, which
can lead to operating and maintenance problems. Backing rings can also lead to
stress concentration effects, which may promote fatigue cracks under vibratory or
other cyclic loading conditions. Butt-welded joints made up without backing rings
are more expensive to construct, but the absence of interior crevices will effectively
minimize crud buildup and will also enhance the piping systems resistance to
fatigue failures. Most butt-welded piping installations are limited to NPS 21 (DN
65) or larger. There is no practical upper size limit in butt-welded construction.
Butt-welding fittings and pipe system accessories are available down to NPS 1 (DN
15). However, economic penalties associated with pipe end preparation and fit-up,
and special weld procedure qualifications normally preclude the use of butt-welded
construction in sizes NPS 2 (DN 50) and under, except for those special cases where
interior surface smoothness and the elimination of internal crevices are of paramount
importance. Smooth external surfaces give butt-welded construction high aesthetic
appeal.

Socket-welded Joints
Socket-welded construction is a good choice wherever the benefits of high leakage
integrity and great structural strength are important design considerations. Construction
costs are somewhat lower than with butt-welded joints due to the lack of
exacting fit-up requirements and elimination of special machining for butt weld end
preparation. The internal crevices left in socket-welded systems make them less
suitable for corrosive or radioactive applications where solids buildup at the joints
may cause operating or maintenance problems. Fatigue resistance is lower than
that in butt-welded construction due to the use of fillet welds and abrupt fitting
geometry, but it is still better than that of most mechanical joining methods. Aesthetic
appeal is good.

Brazed and Soldered Joints

Brazing and soldering are most often used to join copper and copper-alloy piping
systems, although brazing of steel and aluminum pipe and tubing is possible. Brazing
and soldering both involve the addition of molten filler metal to a close-fitting
annular joint. The molten metal is drawn into the joint by capillary action and
solidifies to fuse the parts together. The parent metal does not melt in brazed or
soldered construction. The advantages of these joining methods are high leakage
integrity and installation productivity. Brazed and soldered joints can be made up
with a minimum of internal deposits. Pipe and tubing used for brazed and soldered
construction can be purchased with the interior surfaces cleaned and the ends
capped, making this joining method popular for medical gases and high-purity
pneumatic control installations.
Soldered joints are normally limited to near-ambient temperature systems and
domestic water supply. Brazed joints can be used at moderately elevated temperatures.
Most brazed and soldered installations are constructed using light-wall tubing;
consequently the mechanical strength of these systems is low.

Threaded or Screwed Joints

Threaded or screwed piping is commonly used in low-cost, noncritical applications

such as domestic water, fire protection, and industrial cooling water systems. Installation
productivity is moderately high, and specialized installation skill requirements
are not extensive. Leakage integrity is good for low-pressure, low-temperature
installations where vibration is not encountered. Rapid temperature changes may
lead to leaks due to differential thermal expansion between the pipe and fittings.
Vibration can result in fatigue failures of screwed pipe joints due to the high stress
intensification effects caused by the sharp notches at the base of the threads. Screwed
fittings are normally made of cast gray or malleable iron, cast brass or bronze, or
forged alloy and carbon steel. Screwed construction is commonly used with galvanized
pipe and fittings for domestic water and drainage applications. While certain
types of screwed fittings are available in up to NPS 12 (DN300), economic considerations
normally limit industrial applications to NPS 3 (DN 80). Screwed piping
systems are useful where disassembly and reassembly are necessary to accommodate
maintenance needs or process changes. Threaded or screwed joints must be used
within the limitations imposed by the rules and requirements of the applicable code.

Grooved Joints

The main advantages of the grooved joints are their ease of assembly, which results
in low labor cost, and generally good leakage integrity. They allow a moderate
amount of axial movement due to thermal expansion, and they can accommodate
some axial misalignment. The grooved construction prevents the joint from separating
under pressure. Among their disadvantages are the use of an elastomer seal,
which limits their high-temperature service, and their lack of resistance to torsional
loading. While typical applications involve machining the groove in standard wall
pipe, light wall pipe with rolled-in grooves may also be used. Grooved joints are
used extensively for fire protection, ambient temperature service water, and low pressure
drainage applications such as floor and equipment drain systems and roof
drainage conductors. They are a good choice where the piping system must be
disassembled and reassembled frequently for maintenance or process changes.

Flanged Joints

Flanged connections are used extensively in modern piping systems due to their
ease of assembly and disassembly; however, they are costly. Contributing to the
high cost are the material costs of the flanges themselves and the labor costs for
attaching the flanges to the pipe and then bolting the flanges to each other. Flanges
are normally attached to the pipe by threading or welding, although in some special
cases a flange-type joint known as a lap joint may be made by forging and machining
the pipe end. Flanged joints are prone to leakage in services that experience rapid
temperature fluctuations. These fluctuations cause high-temperature differentials
between the flange body and bolting, which eventually causes the bolt stress to
relax, allowing the joint to open up. Leakage is also a concern in high-temperature
installations where bolt stress relaxation due to creep is experienced. Periodic
retorquing of the bolted connections to reestablish the required seating pressure
on the gasket face can minimize these problems. Creep-damaged bolts in hightemperature
installations must be periodically replaced to reestablish the required
gasket seating pressure. Flanged joints are commonly used to join dissimilar materials,
e.g., steel pipe to cast-iron valves and in systems that require frequent maintenance
disassembly and reassembly. Flanged construction is also used extensively
in lined piping systems.

Compression Joints

Compression sleeve-type joints are used to join plain end pipe without special end
preparations. These joints require very little installation labor and as such result
in an economical overall installation. Advantages include the ability to absorb a
limited amount of thermal expansion and angular misalignment and the ability to
join dissimilar piping materials, even if their outside diameters are slightly different.

Disadvantages include the use of rubber or other elastomer seals, which limits their
high-temperature application, and the need for a separate external thrust-resisting
system at all turns and dead ends to keep the line from separating under pressure.
Compression joints are frequently used for temporary piping systems or systems
that must be dismantled frequently for maintenance. When equipped with the
proper gaskets and seals, they may be used for piping systems containing air, other
gases, water, and oil; in both aboveground and underground service. Small-diameter
compression fittings with all-metal sleeves may be used at elevated temperatures
and pressures, when permitted by the rules and requirements of the applicable
code. They are common in instrument and control tubing installations and other
applications where high seal integrity and easy assembly and disassembly are desirable
attributes.

TYPICAL QUESTIONS FOR PIPING ENGINEERs

KNOWLEDGE TESTING

Please help to answer this Examination?

1. Can you explain in detail three or more major differences between code ANSI B31.1

and code ANSI B31.3?

2. There is a power plant inside a Process refinery. Where exactly the ANSI B31.1 &

ANSI B31.3 scope break occurs?

3. Which of the following piping system is more health hazardous. A) Fuel oil piping b)

Process piping with Caustic c) process piping with HF acid d) Sulphuric acid piping.

4. There is a steam piping with low pocket but without steam trap. What will be worst

consequence of this layout?

5. In what circumstance, the reducer of a pump suction piping will be in bottom flat

position. Explain why the reducer should be so.

6. A P&ID shows a spec break (at Flange) between carbon steel & stainless steel
specification. What additional arrangements you have to make for that dissimilar material
flange joint?

7. A stainless steel piping specification mentions Galvanized carbons steel bolts. What is

your first reaction ti this and how do you rectify it?

8. How many types of piping speciality items do you know? Why it is called a piping

special? Why not we include them in standard piping specification.

9. Draw a typical steam trap station layout and explain why the existence of a by-pass

line around the trap is not a good idea, when the condensate is returning to a condensate

header?

10. Explain what is a Double block & Bleed valve? Why we need a bleed valve? When

do we use this?

11. In a typical tie-in where should the spectacle blind be inserted? a) after block valve

and towards existing plant b) before block valve and towards new plant. Explain why.

12. Stress intensification factor (SIF) Where do we use this? Explain this term. How
many types of these SIFs exist?

13. When all design parameters are same, whose thermal expansion is higher among the

following? A) Carbon steel b) Stainless steel c) Duplex steel d) Cast Iron e)

PIPING INTERVIEW QUESTIONNAIRE

1. What factors to consider for site selection?

Ans : District classification, Transportation facilities, Manpower
availability, industrial infrastructure, community infrastructure, availability
of raw water, effluent disposal, availability of power, availability of
industrial gas, site size and nature, ecology and pollution.

2. What are different standards?

Ans : Most commonly use standards are as follows:
Sr. Standard Description
1. ANSI B18.2 Square and hexagola head bolts and nuts
2. ANSI B16.3 Malleable iron threaded fittings
3. ANSI B16.4 Cast iron threaded fittings.
4. ANSI B16.9 Steel buttwelding fittings
5. ANSI B16.11 Forged steel socketwelding and threaded fittings
6. ANSI B16.25 Buttwelding ends
7. ANSI B16.28 Short elbow radius and returns
8. MSS-SP-43 Stainless steel buttweld fittings
9. MSS-SP-83 Pipe Unions
10. API 605 Large diameter carbon steel flanges
11. ANSI B16.1 Cast iron pipe flanges and flanged fittings
12. ANSI B16.5 Steel pipe flanges and flanged fittings
13. ANSI B16.47 Large diameter steel pipe flanges and flanged fitts.
14. ANSI B16.20 Ring joint gaskets and grooves for pipe flanges
15. ANSI B16.21 Non metallic gaskets for pipe flanges
16. API 601 Metallic gasket for refinery piping.
17. API 5L Specification for line pipe.
18. ANSI B16.10 Welded and seamless wrought steel pipes
19. ANSI B36.19 Welded and seamless austenitic stainless steel pipe
20. ANSI B16.10 Face to face and end to end dimensions of valves
21. ANSI B16.34 Steel valves, flanged and buttwelding ends.

3. What are various temporary closures for lines?

Ans : Line blind valve, line blind, spectacle plate, double block and bleed,
blind flanges replacing a removable spool.

4. Where jacked screwed flange is used ?

Ans : For spectacle discs, one flange is jacked screw flange. This flange
has two jacked screws 180 degree apart which are used to create
sufficient space between flange for easy removal and placement of line
blind or spectacle blind.

5. What is double block and bleed?

Ans : Two valves with bleed ring in between with a bleed valve connected
to the hole of bleed ring.

6. Where blind flange is used ?

Ans : It is used with view to future expansion of the piping system, or for
cleaning, inspection etc.