The failure mode of bellows could be any of a variety of things including erosion, corrosion, cyclic fatigue or thermal creep at elevated temperatures.
What is the failure mode of bellows?
July 30, 1990
Tag: faq
Is the bellow really being compressed or is the entire bellow is moving?
When there is an axial movement, the in-line bellows will start compressing and the balancing bellows will extend and vice versa. Both bellows will be moving.
What is the maximum operating temperature range that expansion joints can be exposed to?
Regarding the operating temperature, we design metal pipe expansion joints up to 2000° F with refractory and 1000° F to 1500° F without refractory.
Are toroidals commonly used as heat exchangers?
Toroidals can be used but not often. Most exchanges use normal thin-wall expansion joints or thick-wall expansion joints fabricated from flanged and flued heads.
Can a double gimble expansion joint be used both vertically and horizontally without any extra piping support?
The weight of the units is self-supporting but the additional weight of the piping, elbows etc. in the field will not be supported by the expansion joint.
Can bellows be used to absorb vibration, for example, caused by a pump?
Yes, this is one of the expansion joint functions
Read MoreFor an inline pressure balanced expansion joint, overall speaking, is it equivalent to a simple expansion joint without thrust force?
No, it is the total of the spring rates of all three bellows.
Read More
How many expansion joints should be used in a pipe?
The number of expansion joints used in a pipe depends on the length of the pipe, the pressure, the temperature, and the size. Upon knowing these design conditions, we can inform you of the number of expansion joints the pipeline requires.
Read MoreWhat is an expansion joint used for?
An expansion joint is used to absorb dimensional changes, such as those caused by thermal expansion or contraction of a pipeline, duct, or vessel.
Which type of joint is used for fuel oil & fuel gas applications?
The expansion joint used for fuel oil and fuel gas applications depends on the movement and design conditions of the particular application within the plant.
What’s the typical spring rate for a 20″ pressure balanced expansion joint?
The spring rate is equal to the spring rate of both flow bellows plus the spring rate of the balancing bellows.
When are expansion joints needed for pipelines?
Expansion joints are needed to absorb thermal movement when piping flexibility will not solve the problem.
Where are expansion joints required in power plants?
Expansion joints are required anywhere throughout the plant where thermal expansion must be absorbed. One example where expansion joints may be used in a power plant would be on piping running to power turbines or condensers.
Where do we use expansion joints in piping?
Using expansion joints in piping depends upon the configuration of the piping where you will place the expansion joint to absorb thermal expansion or contraction.
When should you use a liner in an expansion joint?
It is recommended that all expansion joints include liners in order to protect the bellows from the internal flow environment.
What is a movement guide?
A movement guide controls the thermal motion of the piping system into the bellows
Read MoreHow thick are internal liners for bellows?
Usually, the liner material can be the same as the system pipe material, such as carbon steel, with liner thicknesses of 1/8-inch and greater depending upon flow rate and diameter.
How do you restrain the growth of a bellows?
The growth of an expansion joint bellows is restrained with the use of limit rods.
