Why do the expansion joints of heat exchangers crack?
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While I was at work, a crack appeared in the expansion joint of one of the heat exchangers; I’m not sure what caused it
Perhaps it’s because of the cold weather; I’ve encountered the same problem as well. One of our expansion joints had the same issue – it was very cold at that time, and chilled water was being used.
Is it the weld or the body of the expansion joint? If it’s the weld, then it’s a welding quality issue or the degree of cooling during expansion exceeds the design specifications; freezing is also a likely possibility in winter. If there are cracks in the body of the expansion joint, it’s likely that the degree of cooling during expansion exceeds the design specifications or that the measures taken to prevent freezing in winter are insufficient
For such issues, taking a few photos and explaining the operation adjustments as well as the conditions of the medium can help everyone make a better judgment! It also provides everyone with more learning opportunities!
It is likely caused by excessive initial stress in the expansion joint section of the heat exchanger. In winter, the temperatures are very low and the temperature differences are large, which can easily lead to discrepancies between calculations and actual values.
There is a problem with the expansion joint design. It is estimated that the wavenumber is too low (resulting in an insufficient compensation amount and excessive stiffness), leading to high stress that caused cracking. Or an operational error caused the accident.
Learn from everyone’s experience: handshake
Check if the length is not appropriate; it could also be damage caused by fatigue from frequent stretching and contracting! ! ! !
Everyone is just guessing; please clarify the specific reason, OP.