A pipe is round tubular section or hollow cylinder used mainly to convey media. It can also be used for structural applications. In layman's terms the appelations pipe and tube are almost interchangeable, but in industry and engineering discipline the terms are uniquely defined. Depending on the applicable standard to which it is manufactured, pipe is specified by the internal diameter (ID) and a wall thickness, a nominal diameter and a wall thickness, or an outside diameter (OD) and a wall thickness. Tube is most often defined by the outside diameter (OD) and a wall thickness but may be specified by any combination of dimensions (OD, ID, wall thickness). Pipe is generally manufactured to several long-standing and broadly applicable industrial standards (such as ASME/ANSI B36.10/B36.19). While similar standards exist for specific industry application tubing, tube is often made to custom sizes and a broader range of diameters and tolerances. Many industrial and government standards exist for the production of pipe and tubing. The term "tube" is also commonly applied to non-cylindrical sections (i.e. square or rectangular tubing). In general, the term "tube" is more widely used in the United States, whereas "pipe" is more common elsewhere in the world.
Both "pipe" and "tube" imply a level of rigidity and permanence, whereas a hose is usually portable and flexible. Pipe assemblies are almost always constructed with the use of fittings such as elbows, tees, etc., while tube may be formed or bent into custom configurations. For materials that are inflexible, cannot be formed or where construction is governed by codes or standards, tube assemblies are also constructed with the use of tube fittings.
Uses
- Domestic water systems
- Pipelines containing high pressure gas or fluid
- Scaffolding
- Structural steel
- As components in mechanical systems such as:
- Rollers in conveyor belts
- Compactors (Eg: steam rollers)
- Bearing casing
- Casing for concrete pilings used in construction projects
- High temperature or pressure manufacturing processes
- The petroleum industry:
- Oil well casing
- Oil refinery equipment
- Delivery of fluids, either gaseous or liquid, in a process plant from one point to another point in the process
- Delivery of bulk solids, in a food or process plant from one point to another point in the process
- The construction of high pressure storage vessels (note that large pressure vessels are constructed from plate, not pipe owing to their wall thickness and size).
Manufacture
Main article: Tube drawingThere are three processes for metallic pipe manufacture. Seamless (SMLS) pipe is formed by drawing a solid billet over a piercing rod to create the hollow shell. Seamless pipe provides the most reliable pressure retaining characteristics, and is often more easily available than welded pipe. Welded (also Electric Resistance Welded (ERW) and Electric Fusion Welded (EFW))pipe is formed by rolling plate and welding the seam. The weld flash can be removed from the outside or inside surfaces using a scarfing blade. The weld zone can also be heat treated, so the seam is less visible. Welded pipe often has tighter dimensional tolerances than seamless, and can be cheaper if manufactured in the same quantities. Large diameter pipe (about 10 inches or greater) may be ERW, EFW or Submerged Arc Welded (SAW) pipe. Cast pipe is no longer very common, but still exists. Pipe is sometimes cast in a centrifuge.
Tubing, either metal or plastic, is generally extruded.
Materials
The manufacturing of pipe uses many materials including ceramic, fiberglass, metal, concrete, and plastic.
Pipe may be made from a variety of materials. In the past, materials have included wood and lead (Latin plumbum , from which we get the word plumbing).
Metallic pipes are commonly made from steel or iron; the metal chemistry and its finish are peculiar to the use fit and form. Typically metallic piping may be made of steel or iron, such as unfinished, black (lacquer) steel, carbon steel, stainless steel or galvanized steel, brass, and ductile iron. Aluminum pipe or tubing may be utilized where iron is incompatible with the service fluid or where weight is a concern; aluminum is also used for heat transfer tubing such as in refrigerant systems. Copper tubing is popular for domestic water (potable)plumbing systems; copper may be used where heat transfer is desirable (i.e. radiators or heat exchangers). Inconel, chrome moly, and titanium steel alloys are used in high temperature and pressure piping in process and power facilities. Extreme care must be taken when specifying alloys for new processes due to the know occurrence of creep and sensitization effect.
Plastic tubing is widely used for its light weight, chemical resistance, non-corrosive properties, and ease of making connections. Plastic materials include polyvinyl chloride (PVC), chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC), fibre reinforced plastic (FRP), reinforced polymer mortar (RPMP), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), cross-linked high-density polyethylene (PEX), polybutylene (PB), and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), for example. In the United States and Canada, PVC pipes account for the largest majority of pipe materials used in buried municipal applications for drinking water distribution and wastewater mains.
Pipe may also be made from concrete or ceramic. These pipes are usually used for low pressure applications such as gravity flow or drainage.
Most concrete pressure pipe for public domestic potable water and sewer lines is manufactured in accordance with the American Water Works Association (AWWA) () standards C301 and C303. C303 pipe, usually known as Bar-Wrapped Pipe (BWP), has round bar stock helically wound, under mild axial tension, around the exterior of a steel cylinder. Steel joint rings, a bell ring on one end and a spigot ring on the other, are welded to the ends of the steel cylinder. The spigot ring is shaped with a groove near the nose that accommodates a rubber o-ring sealing gasket. The steel cylinder and joint ring assembly form the watertight membrane for the pipe. The bar stock and steel cylinder are made from mild, low carbon steel. Bar stock diameters range from 7/32" up to 3/4". The steel cylinder thickness can range from 12 gauge (0.1046" thickness) to 3/8" plate. For corrosion protection, the interior and exterior surfaces are coated with Portland cement-rich mortar or concrete. C303 pipe can be manufactured in diameters from 10" through 72". Nominal laying lengths of BWP can range from 20 feet to as much as 35 feet. The design of BWP is covered in the AWWA M9 Manual for Concrete Pressure Pipe. The AWWA C301 standard covers the manufacturing of prestressed concrete steel cylinder pipe. This pipe type consists of a relatively thin steel cylinder and formed steel joint rings (a bell ring and a spigot ring) which serve as the watertight membrane. The joint configuration for PCCP is very similar to that used on BWP. A concrete structural core is then cast and cured. This assembly is then helically-wrapped with a high tensile strength steel wire under controlled tension and spacing which induces a circumferential compressive stress in the core. After wrapping, the exterior surfaces receive a Portland-cement rich mortar coating for corrosion protection. Two types of prestressed concrete cylinder pipe (PCCP) are currently manufactured. The concrete structural core for prestressed Lined Cylinder Pipe (LCP) is placed using a centrifugal method. LCP is normally manufactured in nominal diameters 16" up to and including 60". The concrete structural core for prestressed Embedded Cylinder Pipe (ECP) is placed in the more traditional method in a vertical position using a steel inside and outside form. ECP is normally supplied in diameters 54" and larger. ECP in diameters up to and including 144" is available. The design of PCCP is governed by the AWWA C304 standard. Both PCCP and BWP can be used for internal working pressures up to 300 psi although most water and sewer systems will operate at pressures of 150 psi or less.
Manufacturers of PCCP and BWP can offer a wide range of steel fittings such as elbows, tees, and branch wyes to complement the straight lengths of pipe. Special adapter fittings can also be designed and built to facilitate connections between the concrete pressure pipe and other pipe types.
Reinforced concrete can be used for large diameter concrete pipes. This pipe material can be used in many types of construction and is often used in the transport of storm water under gravity flow conditions. Usually such pipe will have a receiving bell or a stepped fitting, with various sealing methods applied at installation.
Sizes
Pipe sizes can be confusing because the terminology may relate to historical dimensions. For example, a half-inch iron pipe doesn't have any dimension that
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