Metal Bellows Expansion Joints - Control your Heat, Movement and Pressure
29438
Science and Technology
Jun 20, 2007
streditorial
Metal Bellows Expansion Joints - Control your Heat, Movement and Pressure
Piping systems are ubiquitous to heavy industrial markets. If there is fluid or gas movement, be it in the petrochemical, electric power supply, paper and pulp or a variety of OEM industries, optimal operation and "up-time" require state-of-the art piping systems to keep your plant competitive, or better, ahead of the curve. You know your business, and you know that in order to be profitable, your system must run at maximum efficiency. Metal Bellows Expansion Joints allow you to control fluid movement and containment in your system under a wide variety of pressures, thermal expansion and contraction, pulsations, vibration, equipment movement and convoluted routing requirements. Typically, the key component of an expansion joint is the Metal Bellows element. Flexibility is paramount in containing the media and the pressure inherent in the system. Metal Bellows Expansion Joints, thin-walled, corrugated membranes, provide this flexibility. An excellent solution is the use of punch formed, (expanded mandrel), manufactured Metal Bellows, followed by finish rolling. Rectangular metal sheets are sheared and rolled into a tube, which is then weld-mated using no filler metal. This longitudinal seam weld is then "plannished" to match the parent material thickness. "Bellows," of course, implies convolutions. Once the welding is complete, and testing to tolerance performed, the convolutions are individually punched, drawing material from the top and bottom of the tube, thus creating consistency in the thickness of the Bellows material. Finally, the required "U" shape of the Bellows is implemented through the use of rollers. The Bellows are then trimmed, and ready for installation of attachment ends. To assure the best performance of Metal Bellows Expansion Joints, the design, quality assurance, and manufacturing practices should be in compliance with EJMA, ASME Section VIII and IX, ANSI B31.1, B31.3 and other major industry standards such as UOP. The Metal Bellows Expansion Joints may experience one or a combination of axial, angular, lateral, or twisting movement. Depending on system requirements, a variety of unrestrained and/or restrained assemblies, may be utilized. Unrestrained Assemblies include the following: * Single Joint Assemblies: a single Metal Bellows welded to either a flange or pipe end. * Universal Expansion Joint Assemblies: the connection of two pipe end or flange bellows with a center spool piece. This provides more flexibility with respect to axial, and angular movement. * Externally Pressurized Expansion Joints: line pressure acts externally on the bellows component through use of a pressure chamber. More convolutions can be used to control axial movement, and alleviate concerns of bellows instability. Four extremely effective Restrained Metal Bellows Expansion Joint Assemblies lead the pack: * Tied Single Bellows Assemblies: a combination of the Single Bellows Assembly with tie rods, increasing system design flexibility. * Tied Universal Assemblies: like Universal Assemblies, these limit lateral offset and angular movement by utilizing tie rods to absorb pressure thrust. * Hinged Bellows Assemblies: angular movement is limited to one plane. Two or three Hinged Bellows Assemblies may be employed to handle large amounts of expansion in high pressure piping situations. * Gimbal Bellows Assemblies: allow angular movement in all planes, while absorbing pressure thrust and twisting movement. When used in conjunction with a Single Hinged unit, these are particularly suited to maximize absorption in multi-planer piping systems. While an in-depth discussion is beyond the scope of this article, a variety of options and accessories are available, and often necessary, to complete the installation of Metal Bellows Expansion Joint Assemblies. Briefly, these include the following: * Ties rods: attach to an Expansion Joint assembly to mitigate pressure loads, as well as ancillary forces such as dead weight. * Limit rods: a "fail-safe" addition which addresses the situation of occasional anchor overload or system malfunction which could cause bellows expansion beyond tolerance. * Liners: internal sleeves used to protect the internal surface of the metal bellows from media which may compromise its integrity. * Purge Connections: used in tandem with Liners, keep the bellows within high temperature tolerance conditions, such as oil industry applications. * Covers: are used to protect the Metal Bellows Expansion Joints from any detrimental external elements. * MAIN ANCHORS: resist the effects of all forces acting upon them, including pressure thrust, bellows spring resistance, frictional resistance of pipe guides, and inertial forces at bends and elbows. * INTERMEDIATE ANCHORS: used to divide a long pipe run into shorter individual expanding sections. * DIRECTIONAL ANCHORS: permit movement in one direction only. * PIPE ALIGNMENT GUIDES: control thermal expansion in the system so that the movement applied to the bellows assembly is axial only. As an example, if two expansion joints of different pipe diameters are used in the same section of pipe, such as a line containing a reducer, the pressure thrusts are no longer equal. In this case, the anchor dividing the expansion joints must be a main anchor designed to withstand the difference in pressure thrust generated by the different size Metal Bellows Expansion Joints. Piping your media to the desired destination is essential to the success of your business; control the heat, movement and pressure on your operation with the appropriate use of Metal Bellows Expansion Joints, and you control the heat, movement and pressure on yourself.
For more information about Metal Expansion Joints and Metal Bellows Expansion Joints, visit Expansion Joint Systems at http://www.ejsus.com/. Please direct any feedback on this article to editorial@strbusinessmedia.com.
send email to streditorial
Write a Review
Add to My Favorite
Refer it to Friend
Report Article
Other links owned by this user
The use of video in different formats is increasing dramatically, both in business and private life. Consumer demand for duplication of videos is expanding almost exponentially. Such demand calls for fast, timely and budget-friendly professional video dup
Category:
Whether you want to share the birth of a child with your extended family, or your business environment and philosophy with international client prospects, Video Duplication gives you the ability to replicate your experience or knowledge for your neighbor
Category:
Food is an undeniable part of our lives and so are kitchens. Functioning appliances make it easier to store and prepare our food. The latest kitchen equipment makes that so much easier.
Category:
If you have a small business, shared office space may be just what you need. This option comes with all the perks of a traditional space without the long term lease and cost.
Category:
Personalized fragrances, personalized parfums and discontinued fragrances are unique gifts for the senses that are readily available. Gifts for the senses make sensational gifts that will last for a long time.
Category:
The San Francisco Bay Area is not only a great place to live but also a great place to work in, but the expense of a full-time office in this high-rent area leaves many with the option of a shared office.
Category:
This article offers a look at what a language translation service has to offer your business. It shows how every business, whether big or small, needs to work in a foreign tongue at some point, and it goes over the ways a language translation service can
Category:
Whether a consumer, a seller, but mostly as an employer, how you source or locate what you buy is as important as the item that you purchase.
Category:
Whether you're a professional or family chef, good food can be limited by the appliances at your disposal. Restaurants and homes alike need quality equipment to get the best from food.
Category:
Clothing labels must be attached to all clothing sold in the United States. These product labels have a standardized information scheme that has been created by the Federal Trade Commission, which ensures that you are getting what you have paid for.
Category:
Operations, production and, ultimately, profit are tied to the smooth and seamless flow of media through the intricate, and often unseen, "highway" of fluid transmission, whether liquid, gaseous, super-heated or super-cooled. "Forewarned is forearmed" is
Category:
Three of the most important vitamins for skin care are in the botanical extracts used for many body and bath products as well as dry body oil spray products to provide conditioning and healing for the skin.
Category:
Furniture, whether wooden or upholstered, lighting accessories, soft goods, and textiles should compliment your decor. If price initially seems an obstacle, you don't need to resign yourself to accepting less than you desire, as there is discount quality
Category:
A two-way pager allows me to be able to engage in short conversations without having to fully engage in a conversation, stopping other things I'm doing, I could use a full keyboard function without a full-size keyboard, and I could read my e-mail without
Category:
Unfortunately, retail theft, either external or internal, is a fact of life. Whether for large or small businesses, Loss Prevention Equipment solutions can be crafted to meet specific needs and budgets, and add much needed profit to the bottom line.
Category:
The bathroom is one of the most personal rooms in your home. A fresh look with new cabinet hardware or complete redo with construction - For great results, you should plan to your vision and budget.
Category:
Despite the seemingly ubiquitous use of cell phones, custom nationwide paging is still a critical communication tool, allowing for instant access to clients, employees, family and friends. From a business standpoint, this technology saves money, which tra
Category:
Don’t panic. Whether you are creating Crepe au Crab, cooking red-hot chili, flaming burgers and dogs, frenching fries, cottoning candy, trying to say “Belgian Waffle,” in Dutch, or creating the newest roadside attraction, the perfect concession equipment
Category:
Don?t panic. Whether you are creating Crepe au Crab, cooking red-hot chili, flaming burgers and dogs, frenching fries, cottoning candy, trying to say ?Belgian Waffle,? in Dutch, or creating the newest roadside attraction, the perfect concession equipment
Category:
Expansion joints are designed just for your individual needs. Either metal bellows or sliding expansion joints are used in a wide range of situations with each installation designed to hold up to extremes of pressure temperature and sometimes even traffic
Category:
Other links at Science and Technology
Introducing the steps needed to create your own custom photo stamp online.
Category:
We're all about Security Cameras & Video Surveillance CCTV Systems for home and office video surveillance.
Category:
Using the Mobile Tactical Collaboration System with GPS Tracking, local, state, and federal law enforcement officers, as well as other first responders, are able to share data, maps, and images with each other in real time, allowing tactical decisions to
Category:
Next generation home video format wars always end up confusing the consumer to start off, and it can take several years before one format gains dominance over the other. This was the case with the VHS versus Betamax format war, and thankfully the various
Category:
Many people notice that the replacement battery they are about to purchase does not match exactly with the voltage and amperage rating of their original battery. Also, several questions often arise about the meaning of "amps", "milliamps", "watts", etc. T
Category:
Site Sponsor
Directory Statistics
Articles: 68252
Categories: 501
Yahoo Entertainment
