U.S. Bellows designed a universal expansion joint and duct work assembly for a 3rd pass outlet converter to economizer duct work application at a chemical plant in 8 weeks. Expansion joints are used in many economizer ductwork applications near boilers. Plant turnarounds are a vital part of a plant’s maintenance program. They involve a scheduled stoppage of part or all of a plant’s operations. During this time, existing equipment such as expansion joints are removed and replaced with new or upgraded expansion joints. On-time delivery is critical to the plant turnaround schedule in order to limit the amount of time the plant is in shutdown. The total assembly included a universal expansion joint, over 125 feet of custom-built 60” diameter duct work, including elbows, tees, saddles, nozzles, and spring supports. The expansion joints were designed for 0.3 degrees angular movement, 2.875″ lateral, and 3.25″ axial extension. The design conditions were 5 psig at 890 degrees F. The liner, cover, and ducting are fabricated from 304 stainless steel and the bellows are 321 SS. A dye penetrant exam, soap & air test, and spot x-ray on all duct seam welds were performed before shipping. U.S. Bellows has worked extensively on boiler units within the chemical industry and has provided products and designed supports for the unique requirements of economizers including the use of stainless steel and super alloys to support applications such as this involving highly corrosive media.
Upcoming Live Webinar
Sign-up for a Live Technical Webinar…
U.S. Bellows 101 - The Basics of Expansion Joints
Date: Thursday, December 12, 2024 - Register for 10:00 am OR 2:00 pm
*Note: Time Zone is CDT * Central Daylight Savings Time / GMT -5h
Live Webinars are 1 PE/PDH Credit for TX Professional Engineers
Listen to in-depth explanations on how to choose the type of expansion joint that will best suit your system. Learn about the bellows movements throughout the piping system due to thermal changes of mechanical motion. Increase your understanding of the different types of expansion joints and value-added services offered by U.S. Bellows.
Upcoming Webinars:
November 28th: Pipe Support Field Inspection, Installation and Maintenance Webinar 10:00 am OR 2:00 pm
December 5th: Slide Plates & Pipe Rollers in the Fight Against Friction 10:00 am OR 2:00 pm
December 19th: Engineered Spring Supports (Practical, Hands-on Approach) Webinar 10:00 am OR 2:00 pm
View video recordings from past webinars…
Online Course
Expansion Joint Application and Design
Our Expansion Joint course was developed for the following disciplines…
- Piping system designers that may decide to use expansion joints
- Expansion joint designers use the information provided by piping system designers to determine the best design to meet the requirements.
- Designers that use modern software systems to evaluate different options
- Engineers / Managers: field, maintenance, process, operations, construction, surveyors
*This online course is approved for 8 hrs. P.E. Credits
Register Now