Reinforced wye design

[rizwanh]

All,

I'm a pipeline engineer. very new actually. forgive me if my english is not good, as english is not my first language.

i need your help on designing reinforced wye. initially our client wants us to design a fabricated, reinforced tee with 12" pipe welded to a 24" pipe. I've looked into B31.3 and manage to determine the required thickness for full circumferential pad over the 24" pipe.

Now they want it to be piggable, therefore change it into a 30 degree wye. as per B31.3, minimum requirement is at least 45 degree for a fabricated branch. as far as i've searched,i couldn't find a wye design method/calculation is B31.3 nor in B31.4. I intend to use FEA with Abaqus to design the reinforcement and validate it with BPV Code, Section 3 (if not mistaken), article 4.

My question is:

1. What is my base, reference, to design any reinforcement and analyze with FEA, because if i follow B31.3, there is method such as pad, saddle or sleeve type? should i follow any of these 3? since my gut feelings says that the welded part will not be that strong since the 12" pipe WT is only 7.6mm after corrosion. therefore i intend to add reinforcement to the 12" branch, instead of just on the 24" line.

2. Can i use calculation n B31.3, but instead of minimum 45 degree, i use 30 degree. will it be acceptable?? (i think it will not, but just asking if possible).

3. is there any other possible method to design fabricated, reinforced wye?

Look forward for your advice.

Thanks.

 

[LSThill]

Reference: Bonney Forge WFI Houston 4407 Haygood St
Houston, TX , 77022-3505 Phone: 713-695-3633 FAX: 713-695-3528 Toll Free Phone: 800-231-0430

Yes! Reinforced wye design is Bonney Forge WFI Houston 4407 Haygood St Houston, TX ,business.

 

[pennpiper]

You wrote "Now they want it to be piggable,"
Which direction will the pig travel?
"A" Only from the 12" into the 24"?
"B" Only from 24" at the bottom of the "Y" into the 12"?
"C" Only from 24" at the bottom of th "Y" to the 24" at the top of the "Y"?
"D" Only from the 24" at the top of the "Y" straight through to the 24" at the bottom of the "Y"?

I know a little bit about piping and pigs but I sure don't know how you can make any of these "piggable" scenarios work.
"D" will work if bars are placed across the 12" inlet. But it sounds like you have not been pigging that line in the past. So why now?
The only other one that comes close is "A" the first one. But as soon as the pig enters the 24" it is no longer a pig it becomes a loose solid flip-flopping in the line that might foul a pump or other critical equipment.

PennPiper
"If you think experts are expensive . . . wait till you see what the amateurs cost you."
~ Unknown

 

[chicopee]

I like that last line but let's turn this around, must it not be that an expert be an amateur first?

 

[rizwanh]

Pennpiper,

It should be option A. it is a cleaning pig, therefore once it goes into the 24", it will be "pigged" by another pig from 24" all the way to the end (i guess the client can afford to lose one pig).

 

[arto]

How about using Weldolets:

http://www.bonneyforge.com/