【Common Issues in Haichuan Pipeline Design】--For piping of equipment subject to thermal expansion, it is necessary to take into account the different expansion rates of the equipment and the pipelines

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During the design, installation, and inspection of pipelines, various minor issues that have been overlooked or not taken into account are often discovered. These issues are collected and organized into a series; this list is being updated continuously. Everyone is welcome to actively participate in discussions. It’s a compilation post on common problems in Haichuan pipeline design – it’s still being updated, and discussions are welcome: https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-5705828-1-1.html ------------------------------------------------------------------ The heating steam flow for the evaporator in a certain project is shown in the diagram below. For beginners, this type of pipeline layout is quite common. While this layout does appear aesthetically pleasing and simple, it should be noted that both the equipment and the pipelines experience thermal expansion during operation. Since the materials of the equipment and pipelines differ, their expansion amounts also vary. This difference in expansion cannot be compensated for by straight sections of pipe, resulting in high stress on the pipe ends, which can lead to damage over time. The modified scheme is shown in the figure below. By adding straight pipe sections, it is possible to account for the differences in expansion between these pipes and equipment, thereby increasing the flexibility of the pipes. The exact length required for these straight pipe sections needs to be determined through stress calculations.