Many liquids and gases used in today’s factories and plants are transported in countless miles of pipes, and these pipes have features in them such as liquid flow meters (such as Brodie meters or others), air eliminators, inline pipe strainers, vane meters, and more. All of this hardware, along with pumps and valves, ensure that liquids and gases are flowing as they are intended in these pipes. It’s a big industry today to build and maintain these various pipes and their features such as turbine pumps and Brodie meters and others. Any responsible factory or plant owner will make sure that all of their hardware is being looked after and kept in good shape, and repair experts may consult the readings on Brodie meters and other valve readers to check for problems. This can keep a plant running in good shape without expensive leaks or pipe bursts taking place.
The Pipes
One may first consider the pipes themselves. The basic concept of a pipe is a leak-proof tube that will carry gas or liquids from one area or machine to another, but there is more to it than that. Pipes in a factory or plant are more advanced and numerous than water utility pipes in a house. Instead, these pipes may be carrying contents with extremes of heat or cold, pressure, acidity, or corrosion. For this reason, the material of the pipes themselves must be designed to match, or else melting, warping, bursts, or rust might take place, and taht is of course to be avoided.
Metal alloys are often useful for this. There are more metals in today’s factories than simple steel, and there is no “one size fits all” universal metal. Rather, today’s engineers have developed specialized alloys whose ingredient metals, and their ratios, are geared for handling specific extremes of their contents. This may be done for the pipes’ internal and external surfaces alike, not to mention valves or pumps found inside these pipes. Some metal pipes are underwater in the oceans, and must stand up to constant exposure to salt water without corroding. Some pipes are used in chemical plants, and of course they must be able to endure constant exposure to strong acids or bases. In other cases, the liquids or gases inside at at an extreme pressure, and the wrong metals may leak or burst under the strain.
In other cases, these pipes are carrying low-intensity materials such as water, or milk at a dairy refinery, and they may be made out of standard metals or even plastic if need be. These pipes don’t have to endure extremes of pressure, corrosion, or heat from their contents. Still, these pipes should be carefully checked for any developing leaks or cracks, or other issues.
Pipe Features
The pipes found in today’s factories and refineries will have the correct Brodie meters, valves, and pumps installed to keep all contents moving correctly and safely. Liquids will not flow in these pipes very well without pumps, so many turbine-shaped pumps may be at work, spinning rapidly to force liquids to move in a certain direction. This is essential for keeping a vast volume of material moving at a steady pace, and of course is especially important if the material is flowing uphill. A pump’s design will reflect the viscosity and nature of the material, and simple plastic pumps may be used for non-extreme contents such as water or milk. However, thicker and sludge-like materials may call for a metal and very strong pump with a lot of power, so that all of this material may be moved correctly. Weaker pumps would burn themselves out trying to move such contents. And of course, if a pump is moving materials with an extreme of corrosion, pressure, or temperature (or a combination of those), the pump’s materials and strength will reflect that, and may be similar to that of the pipes themselves.
Valves, meanwhile, regulate the volume and pressure of contents flowing through them and may prevent an overload of materials or pressure somewhere. Such valves may be butterfly or iris style valves, and may need inspection and replacement regularly. Pipe pressure and valve pressure may be measured with meters, and the readings may alert workers to a developing issue before it becomes even worse.