Custom Designed Fabric Expansion Joint for a Gas and Water Vapor Application

Type:	Fabric Expansion Joint
Size:	83″ diameter / 20″ face-to-face
Material:	PTFE Fabric Belt / 304 Stainless Steel
Design:	500°-1500°F at +/-2″ water column & 1 1/2″-6 1/2″ axial compression
Testing:	100% Dye-Penetrant

U.S. Bellows custom engineered this fabric expansion joint for a gas and water vapor application at a rotating dryer facility. It is fabricated from a 3-layer PTFE belt with a 304 stainless steel frame and 2205 duplex framing. The unit is 83″ in diameter and 20″ face-to-face. The expansion joint is designed for an operating temperature ranging from 500°-1500°F at a +/- 2″ water column pressure and 1 1/2″-6 1/2″ of axial compression. A 100% dye-penetrant examination was conducted on the unit prior to shipment.

60″ Dia. Elbow Pressure Balanced Expansion Joint for a Power Plant in California

Type:	Elbow Pressure Balanced Expansion Joint
Size:	111″ x 115″ x 60″
Material:	Incoloy 625 / Carbon Steel
Design:	350°F at 15 psig with 1/2″ of axial compression and 1/4″ of lateral deflection
Testing:	Hydrotest

This 60″ elbow pressure balanced expansion joint was custom designed by U.S. Bellows for a power plant in California. The bellows are fabricated from Inconel 625 LCF while the remainder of the expansion joint from carbon steel. It is designed for an operating temperature of 350°F at 15 psig with 1/2″ of axial compression and 1/4″ of lateral deflection. The unit was hydrotested prior to shipment.

Fabric Expansion Joint Designed for a Natural Gas Application in a Gas Turbine

Type:	Rectangular Fabric Expansion Joint
Size:	136″ x 45″ x 12″
Material:	PTFE Fiberglass Reinforced Fabric Belt / 304 Stainless Steel
Design	-20°F to 650°F at a +/- 100″ water column
Testing:	100% Dye-Penetrant

U.S. Bellows fabricated this rectangular fabric expansion joint for a natural gas application at a gas turbine facility. The fabric belt is made from PTFE fiberglass reinforced and the frame and liner from 304 stainless steel. The unit is 136″ long x 45″ wide x 12″ face-to-face. It is designed for an operating temperature ranging from -20°F to 650°F with a pressure of +/- 100″ water column. A dye penetrant examination was performed on all welds prior to shipment.

Single Expansion Joints Custom Designed for a Power Generation Application

Type: Single Tied Expansion Joint

Size: 4” in diameter by 9-3/4;” in OAL, to 8” in diameter by 10-7/8” in OAL

Material: 304 Stainless Steel Bellows / Carbon Steel

Design: 400°F at 400 psig

Testing: hydro-tested at 600 psig

U.S. Bellows custom designed these single tied expansion joints for a power generation application in Virginia. The expansion joints vary in size from 4” in diameter by 9-3/4” in OAL, to 8” in diameter by 10-7/8” in OAL. The bellows are fabricated from 304 stainless steel and the rest of the components from carbon steel. The expansion joints are designed for 400°F at 400 psig and are capable of 0.39” of lateral movement. A hydro-test at 600 psig was performed on the units prior to shipment

9′ Rectangular Metallic Expansion Joint Designed for a Gas Turbine Facility

Type:	Rectangular Expansion Joint
Size:	106″ x 72″ x 15″
Design:	310 Stainless Steel Bellows / Carbon Steel
Material:	-20 – 1000°F / +/- 5″ water column
Testing:	100% dye-penetrant tested

U.S. Bellows designed this rectangular expansion joint for a gas turbine facility in California. It was custom designed with one 6″ x 6″ square convolution. The dimensions for unit are 106″ x 72″ x 15″. The bellows was fabricated from 310 stainless steels and the frame from carbon steel. It is designed for an operating temperature from -20°F to +1,000°F at +/- 5″ water column. The unit was 100% dye-penetrant tested prior to shipment.

Externally Pressurized Expansion Joints Designed for a Hot Water Piping System at an Air Force Facility

Type:	Externally Pressurized Expansion Joints
Size:	4″ Diameter / Single: 50″ and double: 87″ Face-to-Face
Design:	Inconel 625 Bellows / Carbon Steel
Material:	400°F / 400 psig
Testing:	Hydro-tested at 600 psig

These single externally pressurized expansion joints were custom designed by U.S. Bellows for a hot water piping system at an Air Force facility in California. All units are 4″ in diameter, with the single units having a length of 50″ face-to-face and double units having a length of 87″ face-to-face. The expansion joint’s bellows were fabricated from Inconel 625 and all other components from carbon steel. They are designed for a temperature of 400°F at 400 psig with 4″ and 8″ of axial compression. All units were hydro-tested at 600 psig prior to shipment.

U.S. Bellows Designed Thick Wall Flanged and Flued Head Expansion Joints for Sulfuric Acid Plant

U.S. Bellows custom designed and fabricated thick-wall flanged and flued head expansion joints for a sulfuric acid plant in Chicago, IL. The units will be used for a chemical furnace and converter project. The expansion joints vary in size from 36″ to 70″ in diameter. The units were fabricated from 304 stainless steel in 1022° F temperatures, with an operating pressure of 93° H2O water column. All welds were dye penetrant, and soap and air tested prior to shipment.

Hinged Expansion Joints Designed for a Pipeline in Mexico

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U.S. Bellows designed single hinged expansion joints for a pipeline in Mexico. They are 12″ in diameter and 12″ in length. The bellows were fabricated from 304 stainless steel, and the flanges and hinge hardware from carbon steel. The expansion joints are designed for an operating pressure of 150 psig at 150°F, and rated for 5° of angular movement. All units were 100% dye-penetrant and hydro-tested per ASME B31-3 prior to shipment.

82″ Long Universal Expansion Joint for a Power Plant in Chile

U.S. Bellows custom designed this universal expansion joint for a steam line extraction application at a power plant in Chile. The unit is 8″ in diameter with an overall length of 82″. The bellows were fabricated from 321 stainless steel with the weld ends and tie rods from carbon steel. The expansion joint is designed for an operating pressure of 145 psig at 678°F with 1.25″ of lateral deflection. All welds were 100% dye-penetrant examined and hydrotested prior to shipment.

U.S. Bellows Emergency Response Team Refurbishes a Universal Expansion Joint on a Rush Basis for a Chemical Plant in Louisiana

Saturday morning of Memorial Day weekend, the U.S. Bellows team received an emergency request from a large chemical plant who needed to refurbish an expansion joint by replacing both of the bellows. Within 30 minutes, the customer had a response and the project was under way.

U.S. Bellows engineers consulted with the customer and requested the unit be shipped to the facility immediately. After receiving the expansion joint, the team performed a positive material identification (PMI) test. U.S. Bellows assessed the expansion joint and determined the 316 stainless steel bellows could be refurbished. Once the results were concluded, engineering drawings and calculations were finalized.

U.S. Bellows made certain that, despite the Holiday weekend, a skilled team of engineers, fitters, welders and quality control personnel were all involved to ensure the success of the project. The customer service and project success rates are unparalleled because U.S. Bellows has the expertise and the tools we need to get it done right, the first time.

As with any last minute project, there were some unforeseen challenges. However, this didn’t stop the completion of the project, or even slow it down! The 30″ diameter universal expansion joint was refurbished and shipped back to the customer within 24 hours. The unit is back in service at the chemical plant with minimal down time due to the fast-acting U.S. Bellows team.

If you have an emergency request, including field service needs, please call us on our Emergency Hotline at (800) 787-5914 or via our online Emergency Request Form

PTFE Coated Single Expansion Joints For A Power Plant in Mississippi

Type:	Single Expansion Joint
Size:	8″ Diameter and 7 1/8″ overall length
Material:	304 Stainless Steel
Design	160°F at 55 psig with 1/2″ of axil movement
Testing:	100% Dye Penetrant \| Hydro-tested

U.S. Bellows custom designed these single expansion joint for a power plant in Mississippi. They are 8″ in diameter and 7 1/8″ overall length. The bellows were fabricated from 304 stainless steel and the flanges from carbon steel. The interior surface of the units were coated with PTFE. The expansion joints were designed for an operating temperature of 160°F at 55 psig with 1/2″ of axial movement. All unites were 100% dye-penetrant and hydro-tested prior to shipment.

Tied Universal Expansion Joint for a Sulphur Line at a Chemical Plant in Canada

U.S. Bellows custom designed this tied universal expansion joint with floating flanges for a sulphur line application at a chemical facility in British Columbia, Canada. The expansion joint is 48″ in diameter and 72-1/2″ in length. The bellows is fabricated from 304 wetted stainless steel and the flanges and hardware from carbon steel. It is designed for an operating pressure of 10 pisg at 600°F with 1.8″ of axial compression. The unit was 100% dye- penetrant and pressure tested prior to shipment.

Externally Pressurized Expansion Joints Designed for a Pipeline in Kentucky

U.S. Bellows custom designed these externally pressurized expansion joints for a pipeline in Kentucky. The bellows are fabricated from Inconel 625 LCF and all other components from carbon steel. The expansion joints are 4″ in diameter and 32″ OAL. They are designed for an operating pressure of 135 psig at 358°F with 3″ of compression. All expansion joints were hydro-tested prior to shipment. Externally pressurized expansion joints are suited for piping systems that require large amounts of axial compression or extension. In externally pressurized expansion joints, the bellows elements are arranged so that the media flow is on the external surface of the bellows. Externally pressurizing the bellows eliminates pressure instability as a limitation to the design and permits the absorption of large amounts of axial expansion.

Universal Gimbal Hinged Expansion Joint for a Methanol and Ammonia Plant in Texas

U.S. Bellows designed this universal gimbal hinged expansion joint for a methanol and ammonia plant in Texas. This expansion joint is 48″ in diameter and 145″ OAL. The bellows were fabricated from Inconel 625 and the assembly is carbon steel. The unit is designed for an operating temperature of 752°F at 50 psig, the angular spring rate is 4,374 lb/in., with 3/4″ of axial movement within the gimbal bars. The unit was 100% x-ray, dye-penetrant, and hydro-tested prior to shipment.

85″ Dia. Clamshell Spools Designed for an Exhaust Wall Protrusion Clamshell at a Gas Turbine Facility

These clamshell pipe spools were fabricated by U.S. Bellows for a section of the duct for a gas turbine installation. The units were constructed from ASTM A.240 type 321 stainless steel. The flanges had a 32 RMS machined faces for bolting up the flanges without gaskets. The spools were designed to be removed in four sections so that the spool could be removed and the turbine pulled back for maintenance. They are 85.5″ in diameter and 21.5″ in overall length. The units were designed for an operating temperature ranging from -40°F to 950°F.

Seismic Universal Rectangular Expansion Joints for a clean room in California

U.S. Bellows custom built these seismic universal rectangular expansion joints for a clean room in California. The units were completely fabricated from 304 stainless steel and measure 68″ x 36″ x 51 1/2″. They are designed for an operating temperature of 68°F at +/-2″ water column and 1 1/2″ of movement in all directions. All units were 100% dye penetrant and air jet leak tested prior to shipment.

30″ Dia. Hinged Expansion Joints Designed for a Pipeline in Mexico

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U.S. Bellows designed this hinged expansion joint for a pipeline in Mexico. It is 30″ in diameter and 18″ in length. The bellows are fabricated from 304 stainless steel, and the remainder of the assembly is carbon steel. The expansion joint is designed for an operating pressure of 25 psig at 986°F, with an angular movement of 4.5°. All units in this project were 100% dye-penetrant and hydro-tested prior to shipment.

Neoprene Expansion Joints Designed for a Generator Fan in a Gas Turbine Facility

U.S. Bellows designed these EPDM neoprene fabric expansion joints for a generator fan application at a gas turbine facility. The expansion joints are 54″ in diameter and 15″ OAL. Each unit was fabricated has an EPDM fabric belt, stainless steel band clamps, and carbon steel angle flanged ends. The expansion joints are designed for -20°F/+200°F at +/- 100″ water column. A 100% dye penetrant examination on all carbon steel welds was conducted on all units prior to shipment.

134″ Tied Universal Elbow Pressure Balanced Expansion Joint designed for a Chemical Plant in Arkansas

U.S. Bellows designed this tied universal elbow expansion joint for a chemical plant in Arkansas. The bellows, pipe, and liner were made from 304 stainless steel and the tie rods and cover from carbon steel. The expansion joint is 30″ in diameter and 134″ center line to center line of the elbow. It is designed for an operating temperature of 450°F at 200 psig and 2″ of axial lateral. All butt welds were 100% x-rayed and the remaining welds were dye penetrant examined. The complete unit was hydrotested prior to shipment.

Neoprene Expansion Joints for a Gas Turbine Application

These neoprene expansion joints were designed for a gas turbine application. Each expansion joint is 42″ ID and 7″ OAL. The frame was fabricated from A572 Gr.50 carbon steel, the clamps from 304 stainless steel, and the belt is reinforced neoprene. The expansion joints were designed for -20°F/+200°F with a +/- 100″ water column. A dye penetrant examination on the welds was performed prior to shipment.

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