DESIGN PRACTICE Piping Arrangement Around Air-Fin Coolers

Design Practice
for
Piping Arrangement Around Air-Fin
Coolers

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DESIGN PRACTICE Piping Arrangement Around Air-Fin Coolers

Table of Contents

SCOPE OF APPLICATION
TYPE AND CONSTRUCTION (PER API-661)
CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS AND NOMENCLATURE OF TYPICAL COMPONENTS
DEFINITION OF NOMENCLATURES

ARRANGEMENTS
CAUTIONS FOR DETERMINATION OF ARRANGEMENTS

STRUCTURE PLANNING
WHEN INSTALLING AIR-FIN COOLERS ON
FOR AIR-FIN COOLERS WHICH
PIPING SUPPORTS FOR AIR-FIN COOLERS WHICH
FIG. 4A AIR-FIN COOLER AND PIPE RACK
WHEN PIPING SUPPORT IS
FIG. 4B SEPARATE PIPE SUPPORT ON PIPERACK
WHEN INSTALLING AIR-FIN COOLERS
PASSAGES TO HEADER
WHERE A CORROSION
IT SHALL BE CONFIRMED THAT
PIPING PLAN
PIPING ARRANGEMENT
ALLOWABLE REACTION AND ALLOWABLE MOMENT TO NOZZLE AND HEADER

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Scope of Application
1. This procedure shall be applied to the Piping Arrangement around Air-cooled heat
exchangers (hereinafter called Air-Fin Coolers).
2. With regard to the general matters, reference shall be made to Design Practice for
General Piping Arrangement.

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Type and Construction (per API-661)

CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS AND NOMENCLATURE OF TYPICAL COMPONENTS

1. Fig. 1 illustrates the Typical Components of an Air-Fin Cooler.

2. Fig. 2 illustrates the Typical Bay Arrangements.
3. Fig. 3 and fig. 4 illustrate respectively the Typical Construction of Tube Bundles with
Removable Cover Plate and Removable Bonnet Headers, and Typical Confined, and Full-
Face Gasket Joint Details.
4. Fig. 5 indicates the Typical Construction of a Tube Bundle with Plug Headers.
5. Fig. 6 shows the Typical Plenum Arrangements.
6. Fig. 7 gives the Typical Drive Arrangements.

DEFINITION OF NOMENCLATURES

1. Tube Bundle: Composed of header, tubes and frame.

2. Bay: Composed of structure, plenum and other additional equipment having one or
more tube bundles with two or more fans.
3. Unit: One or more bay having one or more tube bundle, and separately
furnished to respective services.
4. Bank: An arrangement of one or more bays as a continuous structure, each of
bays including one or more unit(s).
5. Forced-Draft-Type: A type air-fin cooler of which tube bundle was designed at
the Outlet-side of Fan.
6. Induced-Draft Type: A type of air-fin cooler whose tube bundle was designed
at the Inlet-side of Fan.
7. Bare Tube Surface: The external surface area of a basic tube without fin
expressed in square meter (sq. ft.) based on the tube length measured between
the outer surfaces of tube sheets.
8. Finned Tube Surface: Total external surface area exposed to atmosphere
including the surface area of fin, expressed in square meter (sq. ft.)

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(A) FORCED DRAFT (B) INDUCED DRAFT

Legend
1. Tube bundle 5. Plenum 9. Drive assembly
2. Header 6. Fan
3. Nozzle 7. Fan ring
4. Supporting column 8. Fan deck

Fig. 1 Typical Components of an Air-Fin Cooler

Fig. 2 Typical Bay Arrangements

Fig. 3 Typical Construction of Tube Bundles with Removable Cover Plate and
Removable Bonnet Headers

Fig. 4 Typical Confined and Full-Face Gasket Joint Details

Fig. 5 Typical Construction of a Tube Bundle with Plug Headers

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Fig. 6 Typical Plenum Arrangements

Fig. 7 Typical Drive Arrangements

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Arrangements
CAUTIONS FOR DETERMINATION OF ARRANGEMENTS

1. Air-fin coolers shall principally be installed near the related equipment

(columns, vessels, pumps, etc.)
2. Sufficient care shall be exercised in assuring spaces in relation with column or
structure for placing Manifold Header of inlet and outlet lines coming from or out
of air-fin coolers, since these might require comparatively a large amount of
volume (in an earlier stage of layout, study shall be performed).

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Structure Planning
1. When installing air-fin coolers on a structure, the legs of air-fin coolers shall be
aligned as possible, to the Columns of the structure.
2. For air-fin coolers, which are assumed of plugging of their tubes, Crane-wheels
shall be prepared for use of disassembling of tube bundle as a rule (this shall be
confirmed per client).
3. Piping supports for air-fin coolers shall principally be attached on the
extension of columns of air-fin coolers. Basically, all items, such as shown as
above the arrow mark in Fig. 4a and Fig.4b, shall be designed and manufactured
by the manufacturer of air-fin coolers.
Personnel who is in charge of piping design shall keep a close contact with the
manufacturer lest on problem should occur in design as well as giving him the
required design data such as construction, location and size of support, and load
applying on support, etc. so that he can complete the design of the support.

Fig. 4a Air-fin Cooler and Pipe Rack

4. When piping support is not attachable to the extension of the columns of air-fin
cooler (as stated in preceding paragraph), the attachment shall be made on
support independently erected on the structure as shown in Fig. 4b Separate
Support.
In this case, the design data for support will not be required to be offered to
the manufacturer of air-fin coolers.

Fig. 4b Separate Pipe Support on Pipe Rack

5. When installing air-fin coolers on structure, locations of motor rack or motor shall
be checked and shall make a plan for Platform to access and maintain motors.
When modifying locations of motor or motor rack, sufficiently consult with the
manufacturer of air-fin coolers.
Examples of platform arrangements are shown in Fig. 4c below.
a. Study of Motor Location

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i. Standard motor locations by manufacturer of air-fin coolers are

generally laid out as shown in Fig. 4-c below:

Fig. 4.c Location of Motors

ii. Platforms shall be required at locations as shown in Fig. 4-d, for

access and maintenance of motors as in Fig. 4-c above.

Fig. 4.d Location of Platforms

iii. An arrangement shall be made to effectively joint together the

respective platforms as shown in Fig. 4-d above. However, it
would be advantageous for the following particulars by
modifying the location of motors as indicated in Fig. 4-e
below:
o Motors arranged symmetrically in good order, and
advantageous in respect of access
o Steel materials can be economically utilized by
simplification of structure arrangement.
o With case “C” in Fig. 4-g, an easy connection between
platforms on right and left is possible.

Fig. 4.e Rearrangement of Location of Motors and Platforms

b. Check for Motor-Rack Location

Check the location of Motor-Racks and request modification, if
required, since it might interfere the passage on platform for access or
maintenance of motors.

Fig. 4f Check for Motor-Rack Location

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c. Examples of Platform Arrangement

Fig. 4g Examples of Platform Arrangement

6. Passages to Header portion of air-fin coolers for access and maintenance shall
principally be planned not to cause blind alley.
7. Where a corrosion-detecting device (corrosion meter) is to be attached to the
inlet piping of air-fin coolers, an access platform shall be arranged.
8. It shall be confirmed that the louver operating mechanism can be handled from the
ground or the passage at air-fin cooler header.

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Piping Plan
PLAN FOR MANIFOLD

Many Units (one equipment) of air-fin coolers are consisted of two or more tube bundles
seldom being similar. Accordingly, it is necessary in many cases to arrange a piping, which
is distributing the fluid into two or more branches as evenly as possible.
Generally, a method of installing a Manifold (base line for distribution) is taken as a basic flow
for even distribution.
1. Types of Manifold
a. U-Type (U-Flow Type Manifold)

Fig. 5.1a U-Type Manifold

b. MU-Type (Modified U-Flow Type Manifold)

Fig. 5.1b MU-Type Manifold

c. T-Type (Tournament Type Manifold)

Fig. 5.1c T-Type Manifold

2. Water Injection Piping

There are cases where attachment of water injection piping is made for de-scaling
inside the tubes.

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Fig. 5.1d Water Injection Piping

There may be a case where Restriction Orifice (RO) is not installed.

3. Attachment of Block Valve

Fig. 5.1e Attachment of Block Valve

SELECTION FOR TYPES OF MANIFOLD

The selection for types of manifold is determined by process design department, and
indicated on P&I Diagram. Accordingly, the piping design engineers are only to make
Piping Arrangement according to this P&I Diagram. In this connection, matters related
with the selection for Types of Manifold are described hereunder for reference (from
Manifold Selection Criteria in AFC Review Committee).
1. Respective manifold Types in the order of better distribution of flow are as follows:
a. T-type
b. MU-type
c. U-type
2. For Single-phase fluid, U-type is sufficient.
3. With Double-phase fluid, or Mixed-phase fluid where the change of phase occurs,
T-type or MU-type shall be selected and sufficient care shall be paid not to cause
any deflection in the flow distribution.
4. The ratio of branch pipe sectional area to Manifold Header sectional area shall be kept
not to exceed 1.0.

PIPING ARRANGEMENT

CAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN IN PIPING ARRANGEMENT

1. Piping configuration shall be such that as much effect of thermal expansion
induced from the manifold header due to heat in Up and Down streams of the
manifold shall be absorbed by the up-and down-stream piping of manifold
themselves as possible to nozzles, etc. of air-fin coolers.
2. Piping between the manifold header and nozzle shall absorb the elongation in
the manifold header, and the piping configuration shall be designed such that

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Force and Moment applying on nozzle should not exceed the allowable range by
the flexibility of the piping.
3. Where the thermal elongation in the up and downstream piping of manifold is
not possible to be absorbed by themselves, piping between the Manifold
Headers themselves shall have flexibility and to be able to absorb the thermal
elongation in the T-type manifold.
4. In MU-type, and T-type manifolds, portions of Straight piping shall be provided
in the Upstream piping connecting to the Manifold Header in order to raise the
accuracy in flow distribution of fluid branching off the manifold header.

Fig. 5.2a Straight Portion in Manifold Piping

5. The configurations of piping branched off the manifold header to nozzles

shall be quite same or shall be symmetrical to right and left having same
dimensions.
6. In T-type manifold, where 3 lines are branched off from one header, Spacing as
shown below shall be kept in respective lines in order to obtain a better
distribution in flow:

Fig. 5.2b Spacing in Branches

7. Care shall be taken not to cause Drain Pocket in Manifold Header due to the
difference between size of manifold header and branch pipe.

Fig. 5.2c Minimizing Drain Pocket in Manifold Header

8. Where Tube Bundle is to be considered for disassembling in maintenance,

Flanges shall be cut in as shown below in piping connecting between Manifold
Header and Nozzle to enable to facilitate disassembling Tube Bundle by removing
piping near the nozzle only.

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Fig. 5.2d Tube Bundle Removal by Cut-in of Flanges

9. Water Injection piping for de-scaling inside tubes shall be arranged as follows:

Fig. 5.2e Arrangement of water Injection Piping

10. Block Valves attached in piping connecting to respective nozzles of air-fin

coolers shall be installed as shown in Figs. 5.2f and 5.2g considering the
thoroughfare on the walkway and frequency of handling of block valves.

Fig. 5.2f Attachment of Block Valves

Fig. 5.2g Attachment of Block Valves

EXAMPLES OF INLET PIPING

1. U-Type Manifold

Ex. UI1.

Ex. UI2.

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Ex. UI3.

2. MU-Type Manifold

Ex. MUI1.

Ex. MUI2.

Ex. MUI3.

Ex. MUI4.

3. T-Type Manifold
Piping examples for T-Type manifolds are shown in the following per each type
of 2-Stage to 4-Stage depending on the number of manifold headers:
a. 2-Stage Header

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Ex. TaI1.

Ex. TaI2.

b. 3-Stage Header

Ex. TbI1.

Ex. TbI2.

Ex. TbI3.

4. Examples of Outlet Piping

a. U-Type Manifold

Ex. UO1.

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Ex. UO2.

b. MU-Type Manifold

Ex. MUO1.

Ex. MUO2.

c. T-type Manifold

Ex. TO1.

Ex. TO2.

ALLOWABLE REACTION AND ALLOWABLE MOMENT TO NOZZLE AND HEADER

The allowable values of reaction and moment applying on nozzles of air-fin coolers shall
principally be checked by thermal stress calculation per all lines since these values are quite
small as shown in APPENDIXES 1 and 2 due to the construction of the cooler body.
Meanwhile in the thermal stress calculation, the allowable displacement (Note 1) shall be
reflected on the calculation.
Where the calculated values exceed the allowable reaction force to nozzle and moment to
header, a separate consultation shall be made with the fabricator.

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Note 1: As a principle, air-fin coolers to be placed order, shall be requested to the equipment
designer to select the type, which is displaceable.

Ex. TO3.

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APPENDIX 1

AIR-COOLED HEAT EXCHANGERS FOR GENERAL REFINERY SERVICES

TABLE 1 MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE NOZZLE LOADS

Nozzle Sizes, NPS Moments, pound-feet a Forces, pounds b

Inches Millimeters Mx My Mz Fx Fy Fz
1½ 40 50 70 50 100 150 100
2 50 70 150 70 150 200 150
3 75 200 300 200 300 250 300
4 100 400 600 400 500 400 500
6 150 1050 1500 800 600 750 750
8 200 1500 3000 1100 850 2000 1200
10 250 2000 3000 1250 1000 2000 1500
12 300 2500 3000 1500 1250 2000 2000
14 350 3000 3500 1750 1500 2500 2500

a pound-foot = 1.35 Newton-meters

b pound = 4.45 Newtons

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APPENDIX 2

TABLE 2 ALLOWABLE NOZZLE MOMENTS ON AIR-FIN COOLERS

Nozzle Moment (1b-ft) Horizontal Force (1b)
Size
Location Mx My Mz Fx Fy Fz
Fixed Side 400 400 400 300 600 300
2”
Free Side 200 200 200 200 300 200
Fixed Side 1500 1500 1500 400 900 500
4”
Free Side 700 700 700 200 400 200
Fixed Side 2500 2500 2500 600 1400 900
6”
Free Side 1000 1000 1000 300 600 300
Fixed Side 5000 5000 5000 800 2000 2000
8”
Free Side 1500 1500 1500 400 800 400

Notes: 1) Values in this table are based on data by Messrs. Sasakura Machinery Mfg. Co. Ltd.
2) Two times of these values are allowable for application as references.

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