General Piping Design Details

For reasons of confidentiality, exact details of the reactor designs have to remain undisclosed in this discussion. The final economic analysis, however, incorporates them in a 20% estimate of the major equipment cost. The installation factor, defined as the ratio of the final cost over the cost of major equipment items, is projected to be in the order of 2 here, as foundations, piping, general infrastructure will be far less extensive in this compact and highly physically integrated plant. Table 3.4 compares the cost of methanol produced for three cases ... 

Placarding Requirements These are detailed at 49 C.F.R. 172.500-558. Different requirements are specified for rail and highway transport, and for freight containers and tanks. In general, a placard must be readily visible from the direction it faces securely attached to the transport vehicle, tank, or container located away from obstructions such as ladders, pipes, doors, or tarpaulins and have words horizontally displayed. Illustrations for the required shape and design of placards serving specified purposes are also included. 

Figure 3 The process and instrumentation diagram (P ID) Shown as a simplified version stripped of some detail (to permit an uncluttered and legible diagram for reproduction herein), the P ID identifies each item of processing equipment, their connectivity and the control instrumentation loops. Not shown, but generally present in the final approved for construction version of the P ID are the details of the piping, materials of construction, pump capacities, etc. Obviously, there is a wealth of other material that accompanies the P ID, but the latter is the centerpiece of the process design package used to execute the plant design.

The detailed engineering design of the columns is generally derived from those which have been used in the water purification industry. They are normally fairly squat in shape and constructed as pressure vessels to withstand the hydrostatic pressure of the feed solutions. Typical dimensions of columns used in the uranium extraction industry are 12 ft high by 7 ft diameter as shown in Fig. 3.4. When used for water purification the columns and pipes are frequently constructed of mild steel but lined with rubber to avoid contamination of the solutions by iron. The same materials may be suitable when used for the extraction of rare metals, but in this case to prolong the life of the colunm in contact with corrosive (usually add) liquors more than to avoid iron contamination. 

Although the description of the constituents used to form GFRP pipes as well as the general design principles have been discussed in detail in the earlier chapters, additional design-related facts and hints are further presented below. 

In general, contractors and installers should be able to turn to the designers of systems to be installed. Designers can talk with manufacturers to obtain product information, formulas, and other detailed information. Don t be afraid to ask questions. It is far better to seek competent answers than it is to make costly mistakes. A little research can go a long way in the development of a successful piping system. 

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