Ethanol Extraction - Process Piping Design Standards

[ME27272727]

I'm designing the pumping and piping system for a CBD hemp oil ethanol extraction process. Can someone point out some good references / design standards? I have ASME B31.3 which mainly covers pipe stresses, but looking for more guidance.

Thank you.

 

[moltenmetal]

CBD is a pseudo-pharmaceutical not legal for trade in many places. However, assuming it's legal for trade in your locale, and it's being used either on humans or animals (CBD is sometimes administered to dogs, horses etc. apparently), it would be beholden on you to treat it as you would any drug for use with humans. That implies that the piping system would not only need to comply with a process piping code like B31.3, but aspects of commercial good manufacturing practice (cGMP) for the pharmaceutical/food/bio industry would likely apply. Pharma is definitely not my specialty but it seems to me that the cGMP stuff mostly apply to the ability to clean the piping thoroughly, avoid deadspots where material may accumulate and "go off" between batches etc.

The challenge of course is that ethanol is flammable, and if you are going to use tri-clamp type closures everywhere (common for operations like brewing etc.), you will end up with a piping system that isn't firesafe. An external fire will melt out the rubber gaskets in the triclamp fittings and result in leaks which could feed the fire.

In pharma process applications beyond the safe limits of triclamp stuff, piping designed in accordance with B31.3 as if it were any other piping, with ASME B16.5 flanges etc., is used. Whether that's for intermediates or for final products or both is unknown to me.

 

[EdStainless]

Hygienic pipe systems are often designed to the ASME BPE standard.
I have seen tri-clamps used with solid steel seal rings that have face o-rings in them.
There are a lot of ways to approach this.
There are also more rules for handling flammable materials.
NFPA has rules for this that your insurance company would likely require compliance with.

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P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube