Gaseous Oxygen Systems
Gaseous Oxygen Systems
Gaseous Oxygen Systems
PTS 16.52.05
January 2017
FOREWORD
PETRONAS Technical Standards (PTS) has been developed based on the accumulated knowledge,
experience and best practices of the PETRONAS group supplementing National and International
standards where appropriate. The key objective of PTS is to ensure standard technical practice across
the PETRONAS group.
Compliance to PTS is compulsory for PETRONAS-operated facilities and Joint Ventures (JVs) where
PETRONAS has more than fifty percent (50%) shareholding and/or operational control, and includes
all phases of work activities.
Contractors/manufacturers/suppliers who use PTS are solely responsible in ensuring the quality of
work, goods and services meet the required design and engineering standards. In the case where
specific requirements are not covered in the PTS, it is the responsibility of the
Contractors/manufacturers/suppliers to propose other proven or internationally established
standards or practices of the same level of quality and integrity as reflected in the PTS.
In issuing and making the PTS available, PETRONAS is not making any warranty on the accuracy or
completeness of the information contained in PTS. The Contractors/manufacturers/suppliers shall
ensure accuracy and completeness of the PTS used for the intended design and engineering
requirement and shall inform the Owner for any conflicting requirement with other international
codes and technical standards before start of any work.
PETRONAS is the sole copyright holder of PTS. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored
in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, recording or
otherwise) or be disclosed by users to any company or person whomsoever, without the prior written
consent of PETRONAS.
The PTS shall be used exclusively for the authorised purpose. The users shall arrange for PTS to be
kept in safe custody and shall ensure its secrecy is maintained and provide satisfactory information to
PETRONAS that this requirement is met.
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ANNOUNCEMENT
As part of the recent transformation exercise, the PTS numbering system has been revised to 6-digit
numbers and drawings, forms and requisition to 7-digit numbers. All newly revised PTS will adopt this
new numbering system, and where required make reference to other PTS in its revised numbering to
ensure consistency. Users are requested to refer to PTS 00.01.01 (PTS Index) for mapping between
old and revised PTS numbers for clarity. For further inquiries, contact PTS administrator at
ptshelpdesk@petronas.com.my
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Table of Contents
1.0 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 6
1.1 SCOPE .............................................................................................................................. 6
1.2 GLOSSARY OF TERM ........................................................................................................ 6
1.3 SUMMARY OF CHANGES ................................................................................................. 7
2.0 SAFETY REQUIREMENT IN HANDLING OXYGEN CONTAINING SYSTEM .................... 8
2.1 GUIDELINE TO REDUCE IGNITION RISK ........................................................................... 8
2.2 IDENTIFICATION .............................................................................................................. 8
3.0 MATERIAL SELECTION ............................................................................................ 9
3.1 NON-METAL / ORGANIC.................................................................................................. 9
3.2 METAL ........................................................................................................................... 10
4.0 PIPING AND FITTINGS .......................................................................................... 14
4.1 VELOCITY ....................................................................................................................... 14
4.2 MATERIALS .................................................................................................................... 14
4.3 DESIGN CONSIDERATION .............................................................................................. 17
4.4 INSULATING FLANGES ................................................................................................... 19
4.5 VENT LINES .................................................................................................................... 20
4.6 GASKETS ........................................................................................................................ 21
4.7 SILENCERS ..................................................................................................................... 22
5.0 VALVES................................................................................................................ 23
5.1 CONTROL VALVES.......................................................................................................... 23
5.2 BLOCK VALVES............................................................................................................... 23
5.3 RELIEF VALVES ............................................................................................................... 25
5.4 CHECK VALVES............................................................................................................... 25
6.0 INSTRUMENTS ..................................................................................................... 27
7.0 FILTERS................................................................................................................ 28
8.0 COMPRESSORS .................................................................................................... 30
8.1 GENERAL ....................................................................................................................... 30
9.0 ORDERING, MARKING AND PACKAGING .............................................................. 31
10.0 CLEANING............................................................................................................ 32
10.1 GENERAL CLEANING REQUIREMENTS ....................................................................... 32
10.2 PRECLEANING............................................................................................................ 32
10.3 POST ERECTION (IN-SITU) CLEANING ........................................................................ 33
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1.0 INTRODUCTION
This PTS specifies the requirements and gives recommendations for safe handling, design,
construction, testing, operation and maintenance of gaseous oxygen systems with operating
temperatures between -200 °C and 60 °C.
This PTS also incorporates PETRONAS lesson learnt and best practices.
1.1 SCOPE
1.1.1 This PTS provides the requirements for the design, construction, testing, operation and
maintenance of gaseous oxygen systems to ensure that integrity of the oxygen system is
uphold to avoid reaching its ignition temperature and to ensure that all risks associated with
ignition of oxygen handling system are not compromised in any circumstances.
1.1.2 The oxygen systems in this PTS covers equipment, instrumentation and piping which are used
for the transport and utilization of dry gaseous oxygen operating temperatures between -200
°C and 60 °C with contents of 90% and higher in oxygen by volume.
Refer to PTS 00.01.03 for PTS Requirements, General Definition Of Terms, Abbreviations &
Reading Guide.
No Term Definition
3 Flammable fluid Fluid having a flash point below 37.8 °C, except
any mixture having components with flash
points equal or higher than 37.8 °C, the total of
which make up 99 percent or more of the total
volume of the mixture.
Oxygen system shall be equipped with high integrity protection system. High thermal
conductivity materials shall be used to dissipate energy arising from friction to avoid the
additional heat energy reaching the ignition temperature.
ii. Keep the system clean and remove contaminants and dust that react easily for
e.g. oil, grease and organic material
iii. Materials used shall be proven for oxygen service with high ignition temperature,
low combustion heat and high thermal conductivity.
iv. Provide smooth surfaces and round edges in piping and equipment design and
construction
vi. Valves and machinery in oxygen system to be design for remote operation.
vii. Manual valve at battery limit shall be equipped with blast proof wall in which the
hand wheel of the manual valves will be operated from behind the blast wall for
protection to operator during commissioning of battery limit valves.
viii. Ensure experienced personnel are involved in the design, construction, pre-
commissioning, operation and maintenance of oxygen systems
2.2 IDENTIFICATION
2.2.1 Oxygen is reactive at ambient conditions and its reactivity increases with increasing pressure,
temperature and concentration.
2.2.2 In the plant, oxygen piping shall be clearly identified by colour coding.
2.2.3 All valves and instruments shall bear the warning (multiple languages when required), e.g. as
follows:
3.1.1 Use of organic material for oxygen service shall be avoided, due to its lower ignition
temperature particularly when the material is directly in the flow stream. The selected organic
material shall(PSR) be based on proof of oxygen compatibility in the required range of
temperature and pressure.
3.1.2 The following is the criteria for selection of non-metallic material for oxygen service:
3.1.3 The following Table 3.1 outlined the non-metallic materials that generally being used for
temperature range from -20 °C to 150 °C.
3.2 METAL
3.2.1 The selection of metals shall be based on their resistance to ignition and rate of reaction.
Temperature Metal
-200 to 60 ˚C Aluminium
Table 3.2: Temperature Range for Metal Selection
3.2.2 Gaseous oxygen in the temperature range -20 °C to 100 °C is normally handled in carbon steel
or austenitic stainless steel, subject to the velocity limitations given as per Figure 3.1.
Gaseous Oxygen (low pressure) in the range of -200 ˚C to 60 ˚C can be handled using
aluminium subjected to velocity limit as per standard piping velocity limit.
3.2.3 Use of nickel-based alloys and incoloy for oxygen system is required for higher velocities.
Prevention of brittle fracture shall comply with requirements in PTS 15.10.01 and IGC Doc
133/06/E.
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3.2.4 The following table outline characteristic and precaution for selection of metal as material for
oxygen system:
Carbon steel Characteristic
Temperature from -20 °C to 100 °C for average velocity as shown
in Figure 3.1
Precaution
Precaution
4.1 VELOCITY
Design of piping for oxygen system shall be based on the average velocity on the design
maximum flow. It is recommended the design is kept in the carbon steel area as per Figure
3.1.
Piping class and other design requirements shall follow PTS 12.31.01.
4.2 MATERIALS
4.2.1 Material selection for straight piping and bends with a radius of more than 1.5D shall be
according with velocity limits and Figure 4.1.
i. Fitting where direct impingement of entrained particles may occur, such as short
radius elbows and tees (refer to Figure 4.1), and valve internals
ii. Strainers
iii. Filters
ix. Piping downstream of control valves for a distance of at least 10 times the nominal
diameter (refer to Figure 4.2)
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Figure 4.1: Bends, Branches and Reductions in Carbon Steel and Stainless Steel for Oxygen
service
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NOTE(S): By-pass piping (shaded in sketch) shall be made from Monel at design pressures above 2000kPa(g). By-pass
to be made above or same horizontal plane as main pipe but never below as this will collect dirt. By-pass on the valve
body as supplied by some valve manufacturers is acceptable.
Figure 4.2: Block Valve with By-Pass (Carbon Steel or Stainless Steel Line)
4.2.3 Fittings, valve internals and downstream piping of carbon steel and stainless steel are
permitted with 50 percent reduction of the velocity subject to detail assessment and
evaluation.
4.2.4 Minimum wall thickness for carbon steel and stainless steel shall be 5.8mm.
4.2.5 Pipe size smaller than DN 50 shall not be used. Minimum pipe size and thickness shall not
apply to instrument tubing.
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4.3.1 Oxygen piping shall be located as far as possible from other piping. Pipes with flammable fluid
or gas or steam inside shall(PSR) not be installed within 1m from oxygen piping. Oxygen piping
should be placed on the outermost position of pipe bridges.
4.3.2 Oxygen piping systems shall be kept as simple as possible, with the smallest possible number
of valves, fittings, branches and nozzles. Oxygen piping shall not support other pipes.
4.3.3 The underground piping should have external corrosion protection. Underground oxygen
piping should be installed outside process and other hazardous areas and shall(PSR) be clearly
identified above ground and kept separate from electrical cables and other piping.
4.3.4 Installation of oxygen pipelines through tunnels or (covered or uncovered) trenches should be
avoided. If unavoidable, flanged connections or valves shall not be used (except for low point
drain connections) and the tunnel or trench shall not contain lines carrying flammable fluids
or gases.
4.3.5 Dead ends in piping shall be avoided (refer Figure 4.3). Expansion bellows shall not be used.
4.3.6 The oxygen flow in piping shall be in one direction only. If flow in two directions cannot be
avoided, detail risk assessment shall be performed and evaluated.
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4.3.7 Diameter changes in piping should be avoided, if still required, the changes shall be done in
steps of one nominal size at a time. Furthermore, the distance between the changes should
be at least 1000mm, refer Figure 4.4.
4.3.8 Slip-on flanges, lap flanges, or threaded connections for valves and fittings shall not be used
(exception can be made for special small bore instrumentation). Socket welds are not allowed.
4.3.9 If nickel-based alloy is required based on Figure 4.1, wall thickness for branches shall be
increased, e.g. Schedule 80.
i. For nickel-based alloy piping, branches should also be made with equal tees,
reducing tees or swept outlets. Furthermore, branch outlets and branch fittings
may be used.
ii. For carbon steel and stainless steel piping, branches shall be made with equal
tees, reducing tees or swept outlets.
4.3.11 Low point drain shall be avoided as these parts will allow debris accumulation. If still required
the drain shall have no valve and closed only by a blind flange. Drains shall not be applied for
chemical cleaning and drying of underground piping and if the cleanliness and drying can be
assured without chemical cleaning.
4.3.12 Oxygen system shall be designed to avoid oxygen flow back into the utility system.
4.3.13 Nitrogen systems used for automatic purging shall be equipped with a filter and two pressure
indicators. Filter shall be inspected regularly if the purge system is not used regularly. Filter
and pressure indicator shall be designed to avoid the possibility of oxygen flowing back into
the nitrogen system.
4.3.14 Permanent utility connections shall(PSR) be built-in with a double block and bleed valve, a
spectacle blind and a non-return valve with the following configuration during normal
operation.
Bleed Open
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i. Purging and venting connections shall be located in a way that the system can
only be operated in the normal direction of the oxygen flow.
ii. Utility piping which connected to the oxygen system should be free of lacquer,
paint, varnish or coating.
4.3.15 All connections to the oxygen systems shall be free of oil and grease.
i. Block valve shall(PSR) be installed if the oxygen line enters the process unit or
hazardous area. This valve shall only be used during emergency and shall be
operated from behind a fire shield or remotely from suitable locations.
ii. If the oxygen piping is connected to other flammable piping or equipment which
contain flammable fluid (for e.g. reactor), provision shall be made to ensure the
separation of these media during shutdown and startup. This can be achieved by:
a) Two double block and bleed arrangement in series
b) A pressurized nitrogen wedge in oxygen pipe section
4.4.1 The number of flanges shall be minimized. Flanges should be fitted in the horizontal plane to
prevent debris from entering the piping below during maintenance.
4.4.3 Insulating flanges of cathodically protected lines shall only be fitted in a vertical line section.
This is to prevent deposition of particulate matter that might bridge the insulation, see Figure
4.5.
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4.4.4 Insulating flanges shall(PSR) be protected against internal sparking triggered by electrical
differences across the insulation and stray currents, induction or otherwise.
4.4.5 Polarization cells of sufficient rating shall always be installed across insulating joints or flanges.
ii. Maximum velocity in vent lines shall be 50 m/s. Pipe diameter may have to be
increased immediately downstream of the vent valve
iii. Vent lines should be vertical and straight. In case bends cannot be avoided, the
bends shall not be installed within a distance of 20 pipe diameters downstream
of vent valve. This is to avoid high turbulence.
iv. The vent valve shall be sized such that the maximum velocity in the line to be
depressurized does not exceed the velocity as per Figure 3.1. In some cases, a
control valve may be required.
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v. The pipe downstream of the vent valve shall be made of stainless steel with
diameter equal to nominal pipe diameter or 2.5 times the nominal size of the vent
valve.
vi. A construction as shown in Figure 4.6 or simple curved vent lines shall be applied
to avoid ingress of rain or other foreign matter.
Bends to be avoided
Vent valve
vii. Venting shall(PSR) be through a safe outdoor location which is sufficiently high to
prevent exposure to personnel and facilitate dispersion. Refer to IGC Doc
154/09/E for safe practice on location of vents.
4.6 GASKETS
i. The sizing of gasket shall(PSR) ensure to prevent any protrusion beyond the free
inner surface of the pipe.
ii. Special care should be taken to prevent graphite flaking off into the line,
particularly on the smaller size joints where the seat stresses are higher. In such
cases, the use of graphite-based spiral wound gaskets with a metal inner ring may
be preferable.
iii. For inner ring and spirals, use the same material as the pipe run (except CS)
iv. The following table tabulate gasket material with the suitable condition:
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Gasket Condition
Spiral Wound Gaskets with Proven in service for both cold as well as hot (up
Thermiculite Filler to 270 ˚C) oxygen service
NOTE(S): Precaution: For applications around 150 °C and above, full graphite based gaskets could react with oxygen
which limit their lifetime. The oxygen supplier should be consulted on the latest recommendations for gaskets.
4.7 SILENCERS
i. Material selection for the pipe downstream of a silencer shall be made of stainless
steel or other oxidizing resistant material, e.g. copper or nickel alloy, as required
by Figure 3.1.
ii. Downstream of silencers, the flow is turbulent and with high velocity, leading to
impingement and associated high risk.
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5.0 VALVES
ii. Interfaces with other product streams shall be carefully considered during a
HAZOP study (in many cases double-block and bleed is not sufficient and can even
be hazardous).
iii. Only use valves and instruments that are proven and reliable for oxygen system.
v. A fluorocarbon or any other lubricant suitable for oxygen service shall be used if
lubricant is required, the selection of which is subjected to detail assessment and
evaluation.
i. Only globe valves or needle valves (including angle and Y types) shall be used for
throttling.
ii. Material selection for body and internals shall be from nickel-based alloy for High
Pressure Oxygen. Carbon Steel can be use subject to applicable temperature.
iii. A pipe section made of material suitable for high velocities shall be installed
downstream of throttling valves (refer section 6.2).
iv. Separate block valve shall be installed in series with the control valve for
combined control and Tight Shut-Off (TSO) service, if combined service in a single
valve is deemed impossible.
Block valves shall be categorized as manual block valves and automatic block valves.
i. Block valves shall only be operated in fully open or fully closed position.
iii. Only ball valves or gate valves should be used as block valves due to smooth flow
path during fully open condition. Exclusion for this, metal seated triple eccentric
butterfly valves may be used for piping > DN200 provided the velocity is
adequately low to fall within carbon steel area as per Figure 3.1. Block valves body
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and internals shall be constructed from nickel-based alloy (for high pressure
application) for this specific type of valve.
iv. The selection of material for block valve design should be suited with the guideline
specified for turbulent or impingement area (refer Figure 3.1). Other requirement
as follow:
a) Nickel-based alloy can be selected
b) Stainless steel may only be used when the velocity is reduced by half of
the carbon steel shaded area.
v. The used of block valves with bodies constructed from carbon steel shall not
exceed 10 barg application.
vii. Block valve design shall have PTFE seals and metal or PTFE seats. The maximum
allowable temperature for PTFE is 120 ˚C with PTFE volume as lowest possible.
viii. For application above 120 ˚C, ball valves with all metal seats may be used if the
stem seal and trim seal are appropriate.
i. Manual block valves shall only be opened if there are equal pressures on both
sides of the valve or be closed if there is no oxygen flow. Manual operated block
valves shall not be operated if a pressure differential prevails.
ii. Block valves larger than DN 50, having a pressure differential of 18 bar or more
across the valve in the closed position, for pressure equalization, bypass valve
shall be installed as shown in Figure 4.2.
iii. A small equalizing valves with pressure gauge or Differential pressure (dP) gauges
shall be provided for equalizing the pressure prior to opening the big valves.
iv. Exceptions to the above include nitrogen purge valves which shall only opened
when there is a positive nitrogen pressure relative to the oxygen system, or where
a block valve is to be operated (closed) in the case of extreme emergency.
Examples are a block valve at the entrance of a process area and a block valve
upstream of a filter and/or measuring station (refer section 11.0). The block valve
shall in either case be operable from behind a fire shield, or remotely from
suitable locations. Valves with non-rising stem are preferred.
v. Block valves shall have gearboxes, in the event heat is generated during operation
(due to closing in quarter turn) the gearboxes should be mounted horizontally
with the stem to avoid leaking of grease into the stuffing box area. If the valve
need to be installed vertically the gear box must be installed with seal system.
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iii. PTFE seat rings may be used when the temperature is below 120 °C, but this need
detail assessment and evaluation.
5.3.1 The design of relief valve for oxygen system shall cover the following:
i. Material selection for internal elements of relief valve shall be from appropriate
stainless steel or nickel-based alloy.
ii. The valve body shall be made from nickel-based alloy for system pressures
exceeding 10 bar (g) and from stainless steel for lower pressures.
iii. Relief valves design shall ensure maximum leak tightness in the closed position.
iv. Provision for two phase flow should be incorporated if there is potential
condensation of liquid during relief of high pressure gaseous oxygen. The liquefied
oxygen due to JT effect during the relief of the pressure shall be routed to
appropriate location to cryogenic liquid collection.
5.4.1 The following is the consideration for check valves for oxygen service:
i. Robust design without parts with large surface to volume area. Parts should not
fail and be carried forward in the piping system. The check valves shall be non-
slam type in view that sudden closing of check valve may give rise to temperature
and potential ignition inside high pressure pure oxygen piping.
5.4.2 Check valves shall be of the plate-disc type (compressor valve type) without helical springs.
Valve plate and spring plates shall be of nickel alloy.
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6.0 INSTRUMENTS
i. The selection of materials for instrument parts that are in contact with oxygen
shall(PSR) be stainless steel or nickel-based alloy.
iii. Instruments that do not protrude into the oxygen flow (e.g. ultrasonic devices for
flow measurement and skin thermocouples for temperature measurement)
should be used.
iv. Filling fluids for capsules and diaphragm seals shall be such that they do not
present a hazard if the diaphragm fail. The liquid shall be an inert to pure oxygen
such as fluorocarbon and the fluid selection type shall be assessed and evaluated
to meet the application. The use of special liquid shall be indicated, e.g., by
etching, on the outside of the item.
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7.0 FILTERS
i. Operation with filters in oxygen service should be avoided if possible. The filters
should only be located at strategic points such as the battery limit of the common
supply to the oxygen system.
iii. During pre-commissioning of new plant or plant extension, filters should be used
to remove dust or particulate.
iv. Filters should be put at upstream of equipment which have internal moving parts
(such as a compressor), or equipment which can create high velocity and thus
accelerate particular matter (such as a control station or throttling valve).
v. All the filter element shall be removed after commissioning. The filter elements
shall be cleaned or renewed prior to equipment start up. If filters are not required
after commissioning the filter elements shall be removed permanently (until re-
commissioning is required). The filter elements should use burn-resistant
materials such as copper or nickel alloy.
vi. Filters shall be of the candle type. Pore size and velocity requirements are as
follows:
a) Maximum pore/mesh size 50 µm, maximum entry velocity 0.2 m/s
depending on filtering area; for filters upstream of control and measuring
stations:
b) Maximum pore size 10 µm, for filters in the oxygen feed to low-
temperature reaction systems containing flammable matter (such as
ethylene oxide plants):
c) For filters in suction lines to compressors, see (4.7).
vii. The filter elements shall be removed easily for purpose of inspection and/or
replacement. The filters design shall ensure that the trapped particles unable to
enter the downstream piping when the elements are removed.
viii. An external indication shall be provided to indicate the flow direction. Filters or
strainers shall not be exposed to bi-directional flow. Exposing filters to backflow
allows collected debris from the filter to flow back into the system and defeats
the purpose of the filter. Furthermore, large debris dumps from backflow could
increase the likelihood of ignition.
ix. A filter should be equipped with a blanked-off drain connection, a purge (and
pressurizing) connection downstream of the block valve, and a vent connection
downstream of the filter elements.
x. Spare filters shall not be installed to avoid dead ends and the possible
accumulation of dust or foreign matter.
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xi. Nitrogen or other connections, to be used for purging and pressurizing sections
of the oxygen system located downstream of an oxygen filter, shall be equipped
with filters that meet the pore size requirements of the upstream oxygen filter.
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8.0 COMPRESSORS
8.1 GENERAL
8.1.1 Potential ignition hazards shall be controlled in the area where oxygen is compressed.
Operating personnel shall be protected from injury, and the risk from compressor failure by
fire or explosion shall be mitigated by proper design and safe operating procedures.
8.1.2 For design aspects of compressors, PTS 12.11.31 (centrifugal) and PTS 12.11.32 (reciprocating)
shall be referred. Other references are IGC Doc 147/13/E and IGC Doc/27/E.
8.1.3 Oxygen compressor shall be installed inside explosion wall and be kept dry and free from
grease and oil.
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The following is the consideration for ordering, marking and packaging for oxygen system:
i. Separate order shall be made for oxygen services materials. The materials
shall(PSR) be inspected and cleaned according to specified procedures. The
materials should be delivered free from rust, scale, oil and grease.
ii. Small items shall be packed in plastic bags so that foreign material cannot enter
during transport.
iii. Orifices should be sealed by metal, plastic or rubber plugs. Sealing with adhesive
tape shall be avoided.
v. The Manufacturer shall(PSR) clearly label all materials and equipment in bold
lettering, e.g. as follows (using multiple languages if required):
10.0 CLEANING
ii. Proper procedure and cleaning guidelines shall be establish in the start of the
project and suitable for the plant design and construction. Cleaning can be
performing by:
a) All parts are pre-clean and maintain during construction
b) Complete cleaning after construction
c) Or both specify above for large facility
iii. Cleaning quality shall ensure to meet the inspection criteria prior to
commissioning.
10.2 PRECLEANING
10.2.1 Generally, cleaning requirement is included in the purchase order or shop fabrication
contract.
10.2.2 The list highlighted the minimum requirement for pre-cleaning the internal surfaces of various
items which form to make up an oxygen system:
10.2.3 Preservation procedure shall be in place after pre-cleaning activity by the following:
ii. Firmly secured end-caps, plugs or gasketed blank flanges, as appropriate, to seal
all openings on non-hermetically packaged items;
iii. Desiccant (bags), but not vapour phase inhibitors, attached to the inside of
(temporary) end-caps and blank flanges
iv. Phosphate conversion coating for acid cleaned, carbon steel items.
i. Compressors, filters, vessels, instrument fittings and other equipment with large
diameter, should be isolated from pipework and cleaned separately If the pre-
cleaned condition has not been sustained during construction and erection,
pipework should be cleaned by acid, detergent or solvent cleaning.
ii. Specific care shall be taken to ensure complete removal of any cleaning fluids.
iii. Low point drains should be provided to minimize the drying time if there is no
other possibility, such as temporarily removal of control valves.
iv. If a water-based cleaning fluid is used, the dew point of the residual air following
rinsing and drying should be at least 10 °C below the minimum system service
temperature.
vi. If the pre-cleaned condition has been maintained during construction and
erection, and there has been minimal site welding, in-situ cleaning can be limited
to blowing the pipework out with high (near sonic) velocity, oil-free air,
supplemented where necessary (and possible) with brush pigs.
vii. For solvent cleaning, because of the health and explosion hazards, inhibited 1,1,1
trichloroethane or inhibited dichloromethane (or mythylene chloride) are the
preferred solvents, dependent upon local regulations.
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viii. Certain processes may be adversely affected by solvent residue (e.g. poisoning of
catalyst in ethylene oxide reactors). Under these circumstances, detail
assessment and evaluation should be contacted for alternative solvents and/or
cleaning procedures.
x. Any in-situ cleaning required should be carried out after any hydro testing and by
specialist contractors.
xi. A system that is complete and has received final cleaning, but is not to be put into
immediate service, shall(PSR) be preserved to retain it oxygen cleanliness. This can
be done by means of pressurizing with clean, dry, oil-free nitrogen (>0.5 bar
gauge).
i. Use demineralized water tested for Total Organic Content (TOC), Note: un-
buffered demineralized water is not compatible with carbon steel.
ii. Use socks to ensure absence of particulates during final flushing and ambient
nitrogen blowing;
iii. Use final blowing with hot nitrogen to ensure dew point of -20 °C.
i. Pipes lines should be tested, treated and inspected before they are combined
together to be transport lines. The filling of long lines with solvent may present
the danger of its incomplete removal. The hydrostatic pressure test also offers a
problem because it will cause subsequent rusting.
iii. In cases where hydrostatic testing can be replaced by a pneumatic test (with prior
100 % non-destructive inspection of welds), step (a) of the above procedure shall
be carried out using oil-free filtered air or nitrogen instead of water.
PTS 16.52.05
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iv. Sand jetting using grit and compressed nitrogen can be considered if available at
site.
Generally, the inspection is required to ensure no rust, dust, dirt, or any other particulate
matter is present in the system.
The maximum allowable concentration of oil on the metal surface is 1 g/m2. Oil is then not
visible. Table below describe on the concentration of oily contamination of metal surfaces.
Oil contamination
concentration Description
2
1 g/m Oil is not visible and smears cannot be detected when the
surface is rubbed with a finger and the area inspected under a
bright white light.
2
2.7 g/m Surface has a slightly oily appearance but no smearing is
discernible after testing as above.
2
5.4 g/m Oil will flow and a slight smear can be detected.
2
10.8 g/m Smearing is considerable.
2
27 g/m The oil can be pushed with a finger.
2
Note: The most rigorous cleaning can reduce oily contamination to about 0.05 g/m
10.5.2 All surfaces shall(PSR) be subjected to direct visual inspection where possible, by both bright
white light and ultra-violet light methods. Ultra violet is more effective in detecting the
oil/grease traces as described in ASTM G93. The inspected surface shall(PSR) be dry and free
from:
i. cleaning agents
ii. adhered scale, weld spatter, loose particles or fibres
iii. organic substances such as grease, oil, paint, sealants
PTS 16.52.05
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Parts which are unable to be access via visual inspection, either directly or with a boroscope
or similar instrument, shall have solvent (trichloroethane or dichloromethane) circulated
through them. A representative sample of the effluent solvent shall be taken and inspected
as follows:
i. Sample shall be inspected under bright white light and compared with a new
sample of unused solvent. No difference shall be detectable and there shall be no
residue;
ii. Sample shall also be inspected under ultra-violet light (wavelength between 0.32
m and 0.38 m) and then compared with unused solvent. Contamination of 0.1
g oil/litre or more will cause fluorescence of the solvent;
iii. If some uncertain cases, an analysis of the solvent used may be required. After
evaporation at 100 °C, the sample shall not contain more than 20 mg/kg residue.
A white sheet enclosed with petroleum jelly, e.g. Vaseline, at the end of the line can be done
to check for blowing cleanliness of lines using nitrogen. Dirt picked up by the nitrogen stream
will be visible on the sheet. The blowing velocity should at least be 20% higher than the
maximum oxygen velocity. Piston blow method can be done where blowing with 20%
maximum oxygen velocity becomes not possible due to the large volume. A piston blow
method uses pressurizing and quick depressurizing of the piping section until the cleanliness
of the pipe is achieved and debris removed to acceptable minimum can be seen after multiple
piston blow carried out.
PTS 16.52.05
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11.0 CONSTRUCTION
11.1 WELDING
ii. All pipes welding shall be conducted in accordance with welding procedures and
by welders qualified to the piping code.
iii. Socket welds and fillet welds (except for weldolets in nickel-based alloy piping)
are not permitted as there is a risk of creating impingements.
11.2.1 All butt welds shall be 100 % radiographed. Interpretation of radiographs shall be in
accordance with ASME VIII, or ASME B31.3.
It is essential that the internal weld surfaces are smooth and free of slag, beads or loose debris
thereby preserving the internal cleanliness.
11.2.2 The weld protrusion shall be controlled in such way that the following criteria are met:
11.2.3 Pressure testing shall be conducted in accordance with PTS 12.30.05 with the following
consideration:
iii. The system shall be dried after testing to prevent subsequent rusting of carbon
steel.
Drying and cleaning carbon steel piping after pressure testing with water is difficult, so
pneumatic testing with oil-free air or nitrogen can be applied under certain circumstances
(e.g. 100 % non-destructive examination of welds) with detail assessment and evaluation.
PTS 16.52.05
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12.1 GENERAL
12.1.1 The following is the general requirement for operation and maintenance of Oxygen system:
i. The personnel involved shall be properly trained and instructed about the risks
caused by an excess or deficiency of oxygen.
ii. Personnel involved shall wear suitable clean clothing, free from oil and free from
easily combustible contaminants.
iii. Smoking shall be prohibited where there is any possible risk of oxygen
enrichment.
iv. Personnel who have been exposed to enriched atmospheres shall not be allowed
to get near to fires, burning cigarettes, etc. until undergo complete ventilation of
their clothing.
12.2 OPERATION
12.2.1 The following is the general requirement for operation of oxygen system:
i. Design and safety considerations for oxygen system operation shall be followed.
For CS and SS systems, the velocities shall follow the limits shown in Figure 3.1.
ii. Block valves that are not equipped with a pressure-equalizing bypass shall be in
open position during pressurizing and depressurizing operations.
iii. Pressurizing, depressurizing, venting and purging the system shall be done only in
the normal direction of flow. This also precludes back blowing of installed filters.
iv. For purging process, the operator shall ensure that the nitrogen is free from
contaminants and that the nitrogen pressure is and will remain higher than the
oxygen pressure before hooking up the nitrogen system.
vi. For the operation of compressors, see PTS 12.11.31 (centrifugal) and PTS 12.11.32
(reciprocating).
12.3 MAINTENANCE
i. All oxygen shall be removed by venting and purging with oil-free nitrogen before
work related to inspection and maintenance can be performed.
iii. Safety precaution for working under oxygen system as mention in this PTS shall
be followed.
iv. Before any inspection, maintenance or repair work on oxygen systems may
commence, all oxygen shall be removed by venting and subsequent purging with
oil-free nitrogen.
13.0 BIBLIOGRAPHY
INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS
Fire Test for Quarter-turn Valves and Valves Equipped with Non- API 607
metallic Seats
Specification for Fire Test for Valves API 6FA
Process Piping, ASME Code for Pressure Piping ASME B31.3
Standard Guide for ASTM D 88
Designing Systems for Oxygen Service
Standard Guide for Evaluating Non-metallic Materials for ASTM G 63
Oxygen Service
Standard Guide for Evaluating Metals for Oxygen Service ASTM G 94
Standard Practice for Cleaning Methods and Cleanliness ASTM G 93
Levels for Material and Equipment Used in Oxygen-
Enriched Environments
Safe Practices Guide for Cryogenic Air Separation Plants IGC Doc 147/13/E
Cryogenic Vaporisation Systems – Prevention of Brittle
Fracture of Equipment and Piping
Safe Location of Oxygen and Inerts Gas Vents IGC Doc 154/09/E
Centrifugal Compressors Oxygen for Oxygen Services IGC Doc 27/12/E