Monday, June 20, 2016

By Helen Williams


In numerous occasions, conduit pipes or pipelines will require to be cleaned and disposed of unwanted materials, and even inspected. These activities are mainly aimed at ensuring their dispensation of service remains effective and exemplary, as intended. To facilitate these upkeep practices, pigging comes in. It is a process which basically involves equipment referred to as pigs, which greatly help in maintenances of piping systems. Loading a pig into pipeline must nonetheless not disrupt normal operations and flow of medium.

This process, usually called pigging, is done by putting the pigs into launching stations or rather launchers, which are oversized parts of pipelines, thus reducing to the standard diameters. The launcher is consequently closed, and the pressure that is exerted by the particular product in the pipe pushes the pig along the pipe, up to the receipt traps or receiving stations.

For umpteenth years, pigging has usually been used in oil industries and other large plants to clean conduits especially those with large circumferences. Currently, there has been an upsurge in usage of smaller circumference pigging systems, across various batch plants and oil firms. This has been deemed as a move to revamp efficiency and also reduce overhead costs.

The pigging methodology can be used in basically myriad stages of batch processes, for instance blending, storing as well as filing and re-filling. Research has revealed that the process is majorly opted in industries dealing with diversified products or substances, the likes of oils, paint, chemicals, food, toiletries and many more.

There are other pigging devices that are used in inspecting conduit pipes, for the sole purposes of mitigating any possible leaks which may ultimately result in explosions and other hazardous ramifications. They do not hinder production in any way, but nonetheless, some of the product may be lost after the pigs are extracted. Pigging can also be done when separating different components in multiproduct conduit pipes.

It should be noted that pigging measures should not be undertaken recklessly, carelessly or with people that have scanty knowledge on the intricacies involved. This is because cases of deaths and severe injuries resulting from mishandling the systems have been on the rise. Caution and experience is therefore paramount. There are many mistakes that may result in catastrophes, though the commonest one is whereby the closure openings are open and at the same time the vessel is under intense pressure.

In addition, an accident might occur if valves remain open before closure outlets are fully closed. It is also equally dangerous to leave closure outlets opened, even while the vessel has highly concentrated toxic substances or gases, which will eventually attract serious health complications.

All the above mentioned causes are majorly related to unorthodox and improper operations of process valves as well as closure doors. Adding valve interlocks is a very clever idea of combating these woes. Adherence to all safety procedures are core during this process, and therefore make sure that you carry out all various activities involved in the process very cautiously and knowledgeably. This is to ensure you remain safe, from the start to the end.




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