Tag: hinged expansion joint

U.S. Bellows custom-designed hinged universal expansion joint for a steam exhaust application at a chemical plant in Texas for one of the largest cracker installations in the USA to support the manufacture of mainly olefins and polypropylene. The units are 42″ long and have a nominal pipe size of 16″. The bellows are fabricated from 316L stainless steel. The flanges, pipe spool, and hardware are carbon steel. They are designed for an operating temperature of 400°F at 150 psig. They are capable of 4.25″ lateral deflection and 1° of angular movement. The expansion joints were 100% dye penetrant tested, the bellows longitudinal seams were 100% X-rayed, and a hydro-test at 250 psig was performed prior to shipment.

PT&P REF. ORIGINAL POST 02112020

These single hinged expansion joints were custom designed by U.S. Bellows for a chemical plant in Saudi Arabia. The units are 66″ in diameter and 39-3/8″ OAL. The bellows are fabricated from Incoloy 825 with the weld ends, hinges, liner, and cover from 321 stainless steel. The expansion joints are designed for an operating pressure of 73 psig at 986°F with 4.25 degrees of angular rotation. All units were dye-penetrant tested, X-ray tested on all bellows and pipe longitudinal weld seams, PMI tested on all alloy components, and the alloy steel plate for the pipe was ultrasonic tested prior to shipment. Hinged Pipe Expansion Joints also contain hinges or pivots which allow the unit to bend in a single plane. We’ve supplied this type of expansion joint for both methanol and ammonia plants. They are also used in piping systems for Air, Steam, Gas Turbines, Reformer Ducts, and Burners. These units are designed to restrict axial deflection in extension or compression. The hinge mechanism is typically designed to accept full-pressure thrust. Also, because of the hinge mechanism’s design, shear loads, such as from the weight of adjacent piping, can be accepted by this pipe expansion joint, relieving the piping designer of having to provide additional supports and anchors required by the Single type.

PT&P REF. ORIGINAL POST 06182019

This single hinged expansion joint was custom designed for a chemical plant in Saudi Arabia. The bellows were fabricated from Incoloy 825 and the cover, weld-ends, hinges, and liner from 321 stainless steel. The unit is 66″ in diameter and 39 3/8″ OAL. It is designed for an operating temperature of 986°F at 73 psig and 4.25° of angular rotation. The expansion joint was 100% dye-penetrant tested, the bellows and pipe longitudinal seam were x-ray tested and hydro-tested prior to shipment.

U.S. Bellows, Inc. refurbished a 72 year old single hinged expansion joint for a refinery in Louisiana. The expansion joint is 42-1/2″ in diameter and 25-3/4″ in length. The bellows are fabricated from Inconel 625 LCF, the liners are 304H stainless steel, the body is carbon steel and the insulation is Kaowool. The unit is designed for an operating pressure of 100 psig at 1,100°F and 3° angular rotation. A hydro test at 100 psig was conducted prior to shipping the unit after one week.

U.S. Bellows custom designed Single Hinged Expansion Joints for vacuum service in high-velocity steam and condensate duct for an air-cooled condenser unit in New York. The bellows are fabricated from a 304 stainless steel. The weld-ends and hardware are fabricated from carbon steel. The units are 127″ in diameter and 64″ overall length. They are designed for an operating pressure at full vacuum to 15 psi at -10 to 121°F and 0.6° of angular rotation. The units were vacuum tested at 28.5″ of mercury, 100% dye-penetrant examined, and the bellows longitudinal seams were 100% X-rayed.

U.S. Bellows custom-designed this hinged expansion joint for a combined cycle power plant in Texas. This expansion joint is one of 11 units constructed and has a nominal diameter of 110″ with an overall length of 39 3/8″. The bellows are fabricated from 321 stainless steel with a carbon steel weld ends, cover, and hinges. This hinged joint is part of a condenser duct complex that is designed to operate at 250°F at 7.25 psig/FV, with +/- 3° angulation. All expansion joint welds were 100% dye-penetrant tested and high vacuum (70 mbar) tested prior to shipment.

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.

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.

Twenty-four single hinged expansion joint were custom designed for a chemical plant. Eight are 16″ dia., four are 12″ dia., twelve are 6″ dia., and they range in length from 14″ to 16″. The bellows are fabricated from 304 stainless steel and the rest is carbon steel. The 16″ dia. joints are designed for 2° angular movement at 300°F and 150 psig. The 12″ dia. joints are designed for 1 deg. Angular movement at 300°F and 400 psig. The 6″ dia. joints are designed for 1° angular movement at 300°F and 650 psig. All expansion joints were dye penetrant examined and hydro-tested prior to shipment

Within a two week deadline, U.S. Bellows refurbished a 59-1/4″ diameter single hinged expansion joint for a refinery in Louisiana. The expansion joint is 119-3/4″ in overall length and designed for .82″ angular rotation at 1380°F and 35 psig. The bellows are fabricated from Inconel 625 LCF, and the entire assembly is 304H stainless steel. Before shipment, the bellows were x-rayed and the assembly was 100% dye penetrant and air tested to 52 psig.

U.S. Bellows, Inc. designed a double hinged reinforced expansion joint for a 92″ diameter pipe in a water treatment plant located in Canada. The bellows, root rings and collars are fabricated from 321 stainless steel. The weld ends and hinge hardware are fabricated from carbon steel. This expansion joint was designed for 100 PSIG at 300°F with 4° angular movement for each bellows. The bellows long seams and longitudinal pipe welds were 100% x-ray examined, and a hydro-test at 150 PSIG, along with a 100% dye penetrant test for all welds was performed prior to shipment.

This single hinged expansion joint is designed for sulphur dioxide service in a sulphuric acid plant. It was fabricated with 321 stainless steel bellows and liner, and A-516 GR 70 carbon steel hinge plates and pipe. The pipe is 66″ outside diameter and 35-1/4″ overall length. The expansion joint was designed for 6° angular and 3 PSIG at 680°F. The bellows and pipe long seams were 100% x-rayed, and all the welds were 100% dye penetrant tested. A soap and air test at 15 PSIG was conducted prior to shipment.

Hinges permit angular rotation in one plane only by the use of a pair of pins through hinge plates attached to the expansion joint ends. Hinges and hinge pins are designed to restrain the thrust of the expansion joint due to internal pressure. Hinges can also be designed to carry piping loads, if specified.

Features of hinged expansion joints include:
– Angular rotation in one plane
– Eliminates pressure thrust forces
– Transmits external loads
– Prevents torsion on bellows
– No main anchors required
– Minimum guiding required
– Low forces on piping system

This universal hinged expansion joint includes elbows on both ends for an overall length of 125 5/8″. It is designed with Inconel® 625 bellows, a 304 stainless steel liner, and carbon steel 150 lb. flanges. The hinges allow for up to 5° of angular movement. The longitudinal weld seams were 100% dye-penetrant examined prior to being formed. The expansion joint was hydro-tested at 188 PSIG.

U.S. Bellows, Inc. designed and fabricated two 44″ hinged expansion joints with 5″ thick refractory lining. These expansion joints are part of FCC stand-pipes in a synfuels plant. Each expansion joint is fabricated of two-ply Inconel® bellows and 3/4″ wall pipe. The joints consist of 2″ thick attachment rings. After fabrication, the expansion joints were pneumatically tested and inter-plies tested. The bellows and pipes were 100% x-rayed and PMI tested.

Thermal and structural Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was performed on the expansion joints to ensure the product is structurally sound and determining the thermal profile helps to prevent polythionic corrosion on the bellows. Design calculations were performed for all hardware including lug rings, gussets, hinge plates, pins, etc

27″ Single Hinged	31″ Single Hinged	25″ Universal Expansion Joint	Refractory Lining

U.S. Bellows, Inc. designed and fabricated refractory lined single-hinged and universal expansion joints for a design pressure of 75.4 PSIG and 1400°F temperature. Each expansion joint was 100% x-ray tested along the weld seems and pneumatically tested to 83 PSIG.