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An overview of the codes and standards that are most pertinent to chemical processing facilities
Moving a process fluid from one stage of its processing cycle to the next requires the transfer of fluids between pressure vessels, through pressure piping with the assistance of pressure equipment. Aside from the elemental objective of making an intermediate or finished product, the immediate goal, and what should be of primary importance, is to make these fluid transfers, or the overall handling of such process fluids, in a safe and productive manner.
Handling such process fluids (including utility fluids) presupposes that we select an appropriate material of construction (MOC) for each fluid service; that we properly size the piping and components for the needed flowrate; determine a mechanical-joint pressure rating that will safely contain the fluid being transferred; and that we design and construct pressure vessels and equipment in accordance with accredited consensus standards. Such aspects of fluid handling, in the design and engineering of a chemical processing facility (CPF), is an ever-changing selective process in which many fluid service variations may exist, and each fluid may have its own distinct set of requirements. These requirements can range from construction material compatibility to safe containment of the process fluid, and from regulatory requirements to jurisdictional code requirements. The many variables presented in the design of a process system create a challenge in the effort to achieve quantifiable productivity while meeting all respective code and regulatory demands.
Safety considerations in the design, construction and operation of a chemical process industries (CPI) facility is not simply a rhetorical aspect of the design function, it is instead the very essence of the codes and standards that affect the safety and wellbeing of not only the operations and plant personnel, but in many cases, the people who live in the surrounding neighborhoods - neighborhoods that are in close proximity to what could be considered a high-risk industrial facility. This is where code and regulatory compliance interact with the design, engineering and construction activities of a CPF.
The respective codes and standards affect everything from the materials and methods used in manufacturing the individual components that make up the piping systems in a processing unit to how the piping system is engineered and...