Pipe inlet design 2

[Thuba]

Goodday. l have a vessel heating edible oil using thermic fluid through a heating coil. The inlet of the thermal fluid the pipeline is looped, l was wondering whats the purpose of looping. See attachment!

 

[LittleInch]

B I t hard to say but my guess is to have flexibility to avoid stress due to thermal exclamation

 

[georgeverghese]

It may be connected to a system operating at atmospheric pressure, and this may be a level loop to maintain level in the connected system ( HO tank ??)

 

[Thuba]

Sorry my bad, its a stripping steam line, direct injection of steam to the oil for purposes of stripping and agitation. Can that loop somehow eliminate condensate from live steam?

 

[katmar]

I think that LittleInch nailed it, even though auto-copulation added some confusion. The loop will not help with condensate collection and it would have to be much taller to prevent back-flow, so I think accommodating thermal expansion is the correct reason - and it would be good practice anyway.

 

[Snickster]

I think it is primarily for preventing backflow of the oil into the steam line assuming that the high point on the inlet pipe is above the liquid level of the oil in the vessel. It could also be for thermal expansion of the inlet pipe but no need to route a loop up that high if it was only for thermal expansion.

 

[Thuba]

I think it is primarily for preventing backflow of the oil into the steam line assuming that the high point on the inlet pipe is above the liquid level of the oil in the vessel. It could also be for thermal expansion of the inlet pipe but no need to route a loop up that high if it was only for thermal expansion.

Thanks Snickster. l get it now, assuming there is no steam pressure or its low, then the oil can get in the direct steam holes and flow to the steam line. Pretty much it acts non return valve.

 

[LittleInch]

Now we know its a steam line then yes, the height could be related to the liquid level in the tank, but also steam will make the pipe expand and nozzles on tanks are notorious for being low in allowable forces.

With only one photo, no isometrics or drawings of the steam line we're in guesswork territory here....

 

[Thuba]

l have a similar loop, on the outlet of the tank. l understand the siphon will act as a pump to suck liquid hexane frome solvent-water tank to hexane tank underground. My question is in this case, can't we just let the liquid hexane overflow whenever the liquid level is high enough. Why is it necessary we siphon it? Both the water-solvent tank (in picture) and under solvent tank are under vacuum.

 

[Snickster]

That u-shaped piping looks like it is just a P-trap to keep a liquid level so that vapor from the solvent tank below does not back up into the separator tank, not a siphon arrangement. It looks like the drain pipe enters the tank at the top where there is probably an overflow trough where the liquid hexane enters as it rises out of the water to the top surface.

 

[katmar]

Unless there is a dip pipe inside the tank that is connected to the outlet piping the loop on the outlet is not a siphon. It is just a P-trap as described by Snickster. As soon as the level in the tank drops below the outlet nozzle the flow out of the tank will stop.

The loop on the inlet will not prevent back flow from the tank into the steam piping. When the steam is isolated (by a valve that is not shown in the picture) the pressure in the steam piping will collapse to almost nothing and the contents of the tank could be drawn up a loop to a height of almost 10 metres.

 

[carlosbenjamin]

Goodday. l have a vessel heating edible oil using thermic fluid through a heating coil. The inlet of the thermal fluid the pipeline is looped, l was wondering whats the purpose of looping. See attachment!

The loop in the thermal fluid pipeline is probably there to allow for thermal expansion, prevent stress on the pipes, or ensure even heat distribution. It could also help with maintaining flow and reducing pressure drop. Pretty common in heated fluid systems!

 

[LittleInch]

Thuba,

This is all wild speculation unless you know the process parameters and the P&ID etc.

That second on looks more like a device to prevent very low pressure gas downstream from reverse flowing back into the tank, but the pressure is limited by the differential column height.

Impossible to say what its purpose is without knowing all the facts.

 

[georgeverghese]

On the 2nd photo, Think there should be an external siphon break line connecting the top of the inverted U to the tank top. Without it, liquid will continue flowing out of the solvent-water tank even when level in the tank is below the top elevation of the inverted U.

 

[GD2]

l have a similar loop, on the outlet of the tank. l understand the siphon will act as a pump to suck liquid hexane frome solvent-water tank to hexane tank underground. My question is in this case, can't we just let the liquid hexane overflow whenever the liquid level is high enough. Why is it necessary we siphon it? Both the water-solvent tank (in picture) and under solvent tank are under vacuum.

Thuba, check once again. It doesn't look like an outlet line. It should be an inlet line.