Piping Design Principles & Standards Flashcards
7 cards from real SPED practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Piping Design Principles & Standards flashcards as text
What is the primary purpose of a strainer (Y-type or basket) installed upstream of control valves and meters?
Answer: To remove solid particles that could damage or clog downstream equipment
Strainers protect sensitive equipment like control valves, meters, and pumps by trapping solid particles and debris from the process fluid before they can cause damage.
What does the term 'hydrostatic test' verify in a completed piping system?
Answer: The structural integrity and leak-tightness of the piping system under pressure
A hydrostatic test pressurizes the system with water to 1.5 times the design pressure to verify weld integrity, joint tightness, and system strength before commissioning.
In a piping isometric drawing, what does the 'north arrow' or 'plant north' orientation indicate?
Answer: A reference direction used to define pipe routing directions consistent with the plant plot plan
Plant north is an arbitrary reference direction established on the plot plan; isometrics use it so field crews can orient themselves and correctly install the pipe spool per the drawing.
Which of the following describes a 'reducing tee' in piping?
Answer: A tee where the branch opening is smaller than the run openings
A reducing tee has a branch outlet of smaller diameter than the main run, allowing a smaller branch line to connect to a larger header without a separate reducer.
What is 'cathodic protection' and when is it required for piping systems?
Answer: An electrochemical method to prevent external corrosion on buried or submerged metallic piping
Cathodic protection impresses an electric current or uses sacrificial anodes to prevent electrochemical corrosion of buried or submerged steel piping.
What is the purpose of a 'pipe anchor' in a piping flexibility analysis?
Answer: To completely restrain all translational and rotational movement at a fixed point
A pipe anchor is a rigid restraint that prevents all six degrees of freedom (three translations and three rotations), defining a fixed boundary condition in flexibility analysis.
Which ASME B31.3 fluid service category requires the most stringent examination requirements?
Answer: Category M (Lethal Service)
Category M (Lethal Service) covers fluids that are immediately dangerous to life in small quantities; it requires 100% radiographic or ultrasonic examination of all welds.