What are the pipeline details?

Material
Carbon Steel/Stainless/Cast all affect the choice of cutters and pilots.

Size
The pipe size and wall thickness have an affect on the choice of pilot and cutter for swarf clearance.

Fittings
The size of the fittings and valve affect the overall reach requirements of the hot tap drilling machine, and therefore the choice of machine.

Pressure
This decides what adapter is to be used and subsequently the Maximum Allowable Operating Pressure.

What are the pipeline details?

Temperature
This effects the machines seals and therefore the Maximum Allowable Operating Temperature. Cooling spools can be used to reduce the temperature at the machine.

Product
The nature of the product and its chemical constituency can effect the pressure and temperature rating. If it is corrosive then it may also affect the safe operation of the equipment.

Tap size
The size of the tap has a direct bearing on the choice of tapping machine and will determine, together with the header size, the overall reach required to carry out the hot tap.

Pipeline Content

Flammable
Is the product flammable? If so, the installation should be purged with inert gas.

Toxic
Specialist procedures required. Provide adequate precautions for the protection of personnel during operation and disposing of product in Tapping Machine Adapter.

Corrosive
Specialist procedures required (Refer to Hot Tap specialist)

Inert
Take precautions in accordance with Chemical requirements of product.

What can you hot tap into ?

Very Corrosive Products Very High Temperatures

Non Standard Taps

Off-Set Tap

Angle Tap

Bend Tap Blind Tap

Hot Tap Orientation

Standard vertical tap - no unusual problems

Hot Tap Orientation

Angled vertical tap - no problems for angles less than 45 degrees

Hot Tap Orientation

As the angle of tap rotates around there becomes more chance of the swarf from the tap coming back towards the valve and the tapping machine adapter resulting in problems closing the valve and with drawing the cutter fully.

Hot Tap Orientation

As the angle of tap rotates around there becomes more chance of the swarf from the tap coming back towards the valve and the tapping machine adapter resulting in problems closing the valve and with drawing the cutter fully.

Hot Tap Orientation

The measuring rod will tend to fall out. It is also considerably harder to install the drilling machine into position.

Clearance for Hot Tap

Longitudinal weld access restricted by adjacent pipes

Longitudinal weld location at an alternative position in order to improve weld access

Clearance for Hot Tap

Not just X and Y but how to get the machine into position

Y X

Temperature

Maximum Temp 700 deg F @ 700 P.S.I. (371 deg C @ 48 bar ) Normal maximum operating pressure 1440 P.S.I.

Flow Rates

Standard U-Wire Pilot Drill

Gas Liquid

- 10 m/s - 30 fps - 20 mph - 5 m/s - 15 fps - 10 mph

Positive Retention Pilot Drill

Gas and Liquid unlimited. Fastest to date - 60 m/s - 180 fps - 120 mph

Drilling Machine Power Source

Up to 3 2 to 6 3 to 12 4 to 16 12 to 24 18 to 48

Hand / Air Air / Hydraulic Air / Hydraulic Hydraulic Hydraulic Hydraulic

Distance to face of valve

+Z

-Z

Y
Position A

Distance for Position A (Ready to start hot tap)

= X+Y-Z

Tapping Distance

Distance for cutter to complete tap

W CER

pir

PER
Distance for cutter to complete tap

=W
2 2

W= PER-

(pir - CER )

Distance for cutter to complete tap

W CER

pir

PER = 200mm pir = 185mm CER = 150mm

W= 200 PER
Distance for cutter to complete tap
2

(185 - 150 ) (34225 - 22500)

W= 200 -

=W
2

W= 200 - 11725 W= 200 - 108.28 W= 91.72mm

W= PER-

(pir - CER )

Pilot Distance (V)

Pilot Distance (V)

Tapping Distance =V+W

Note V+W < PER+pir

Once cutter through by calculated measurement, machine should be stopped and cutter advanced to confirm tap completed.

Coupon retained by U Wire

Coupon retained by U Wire

Coupon and cutter are withdrawn

Coupon and cutter are withdrawn

Coupon and cutter are withdrawn

Coupon and cutter are withdrawn

Coupon and cutter are withdrawn

Coupon and cutter are withdrawn

Coupon and cutter are withdrawn

Coupon and cutter are withdrawn

Coupon and cutter are withdrawn

Coupon and cutter are withdrawn

Coupon and cutter are withdrawn

Coupon and cutter are withdrawn

Coupon and cutter are withdrawn

Coupon and cutter are withdrawn

Coupon and cutter are withdrawn

Coupon and cutter are withdrawn

Coupon and cutter are withdrawn

Coupon and cutter are withdrawn