Fittings play an essential role in the oil and gas pipeline industry. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, more than 2.6 million miles of pipelines are responsible for transporting trillions of cubic feet and hundreds of billions of ton/miles of liquid petroleum annually. If you’re looking for the right carbon steel pipe fitting, here are five common types of pipeline fittings.
1. Adapters
Adapters are fittings that allow you to transition from one type of pipe to another. You might use an adapter to transition from a smaller pipeline to a larger pipeline, or it may be used to transition between different types of pipe. These adapters play an essential role in many pipeline applications.
2. Couplings
When you simply need to connect two identical pipes, you can use a coupling. Couplings are a common carbon steel pipe fitting because they’re used everywhere that two pipes of the same size need to connect. One length of pipe can’t go on forever, so there are lots of couplings in the average gas or oil pipeline.
3. 45-Degree Fittings
Sometimes you need to make a slight turn when you’re running a pipeline. When you need to make a small turn before straightening back out, a 45-degree fitting is a popular choice. There are also 22.5-degree fittings that are used for smaller turns, but these fittings aren’t as commonly used.
4. 90-Degree Fittings
90-degree fittings are the tool of choice when you have to make a drastic turn. If you have to make a sudden left or right in an oil or gas pipeline, you can use a 90-degree fitting to do that. You can also achieve that same 90-degree turn by combining two 45-degree fittings.
5. Quick Couplers
Quick couplers are used to make it easy to quickly connect or disconnect things from the pipeline. While quick couplers aren’t the most common carbon steel pipe fitting for laying out pipelines, they’re commonly used for other pipeline applications.
The oil and gas pipeline industry relies on all sorts of fittings, which is why it’s so important to have a reliable carbon steel pipe fitting supplier. If you’re looking for high-quality oil or gas pipeline fittings, check out the selection at Lynco Flange & Fitting or contact us today to find what you need.