What should be considered when installing pipe supports on the surface of pressure vessels?
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One of our company’s nitrogen storage tanks has a pressure of 8 kilograms and a volume of 1000 m3. A DN250 pipe runs from a height of 14 meters at the top of the tank down to a height of 3 meters above the ground. Since it is a circular tank and also a pressure vessel, it is difficult to find an appropriate location on the tank for installing support pipes. Even if such a location exists, welding supports onto the pressure vessel is not allowed during on-site construction. What is the best way to route this pipe in such a situation, or are there any other methods to secure this large pipe? Please ask the experts for advice!
This should have been taken into consideration during the design phase, I guess. It’s a bit difficult to consider right now; my personal suggestion is: is there a spiral staircase? Could we consider using a spiral staircase to run the pipes?
Shims can also be installed on-site, but first it is necessary to have the design department prepare official drawings, and then engage a unit with the qualifications for repairing pressure vessels to carry out the welding.
It is best not to provide support on the equipment in this case; instead, support can be considered on the brackets of the spherical tank. The external pressure on the equipment is not high; if it’s truly impossible to provide support on the tank, it is necessary to have a specialist in equipment design conduct a verification. If nothing else works, just use a 14-meter pipe rack; it costs more but seems safer. If there are any mistakes, please ask the teachers to correct them.
Your device operates at only 0.8 MPa, so the pressure isn’t high; it’s sufficient to use a specialized mounting plate for the device. The manufacturer can simply weld a mounting plate onto the device during its production process. Then, the pipe rack can be constructed during pipeline installation.
There is a spiral staircase bracket, which can be used to create a support structure.
But if your device has already been processed, it cannot be used as a bracket. Only a 3-meter-high pipe support was built on the ground to provide support.
Generally, for tanks of this size, the issue of how to lead the pipes at the top of the tank downward should be considered during design, and multiple shims should be welded to the equipment during manufacturing. But you don’t have that now; firstly, the pressure on your equipment isn’t high, and it’s nitrogen. You can ask the design firm to provide additional design support pads after conducting relevant calculations, and then have the equipment manufacturer weld them in place on site along with performing heat treatment ； If you find it troublesome, you can consider installing a pipe support about 10 meters long in a suitable location next to the equipment. This support can be in the form of a grid structure made of angle steel, or it can be a cross-shaped support constructed from pipes or channel steel
The answer from the poster on floor 8 is really good; I think the same way.