Pipe Line Rules of Thumb HandbookE. W. McAllister (ed)Gulf Publishing, 1998604 pp, £64,ISBN 0 88415 671 0

Reviewed by Tom Baxter (URAGAIG, UK)

An extremely broad-ranging view of pipeline technologiesand related topics are covered by this publication. Estimat-ing the number of common nails to the lb, sizing gascompressors, calculating the diffusivity of methane, thefundamentals of economicsÐ this is just a snapshot of someof the topics covered and gives a ¯ avour of the expanseand range of information to be found within the 22 sectionsand 600 pages of the Handbook.

Recognizing the origins of the material, it is perhaps notsurprising that the main focus of the Handbook is pipe linedesign, installation and operation for land-based applica-tions in North America. Hence, readers seeking data forsubsea systems may be disappointed. Also, experts in their® elds are unlikely to ® nd much to supplement their speci® cdiscipline skills, but they may bene® t from an understandingof other areas. This latter aspect is possibly the primarybene® t of the presented material.

The Handbook opens with a section on basic mechanicaldata followed by sections on construction and pipedesignÐ easy-to-use tables and formulae are given coveringlaying, welding, concrete usage, lifting plant considerationsand pipe properties. A review of electrical equipment ispresented which includes aspects of hazardous locations,portable plant and the design of single- and three-phasesystems.

Line hydrotesting and subsequent system drying andcleaning are covered. The drying and cleaning narrativereviews pigging, chemical, gas blowing and vacuumtechniques. The important area of corrosion control isaddressed with emphasis placed on external corrosion.Concrete, coal tar and epoxy coatings together with cathodic

protection techniques are reviewed. The latter topic issubject to a fairly extensive section of narrative andinformation while, surprisingly, internal corrosion is notdiscussed.

Sizing formulae and other information for the preliminarydesign and rating of control valves, relief valves, compres-sors, pumps and tanks can be found in various sections ofthe Handbook. Techniques for assessing control and reliefvalves in single phase and multi-phase duties, togetherwith valve selection criteria are presented. Other designconsiderations such as reactive loads, valve chatter andrelief valve inlet piping are also covered. Basic hydrocarbongas properties and simple formulae for their estimation aregiven. Gas compressor and liquid pump estimation methodsfor reciprocating and centrifugal machines are presented.The reader’ s understanding is aided by numerous workedexamples of typical problems.

The commonly used single-phase gas correlations ofPanhandle and Weymouth form the basis for a chapter ongas hydraulics. Tables, nomographs, formulae and workedexamples are given allowing the reader to undertake arange of simple hydraulic calculations. Single-phase liquidviscosity and density estimation techniques are presented.Liquid pressure losses are covered utilizing the Darcy/Moody incompressible ¯ ow expression. Supporting sectionsreview basic time-dependent dynamics, multi-phase ¯ owand the use of drag reducing agents. Omitted fromthe publication is the importance of heat transfer and theinterrelationshipwith physical properties, system hydraulicsand other related issues such as corrosion.

Flow measurement, SCADA systems and leak detec-tion are discussed. Pipeline maintenance with particularemphasis on oil spillage planning is reviewed and eco-nomic and risk evaluation considerations complete thepublication.

Concluding thoughts on the Handbook can be summedup by the expression `Jack of all tradesÐ master of none’ .Perhaps this is all that should be expected from apublication whose intent is clearly stated as rules of thumb.

651BOOK REVIEWS

Trans IChemE, Vol 76, Part A, July 1998