【Haichuan Equipment Guessing Game】Common on pipeline bends in industrial parks
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In addition to the bends, the pipes are also connected by a certain component; this component can sometimes be found on longer pipes as well. So what exactly is this component?
An expansion joint (also known as a compensator) consists of a bellows, which is the main component that enables its function, along with additional parts such as end tubes, supports, flanges, and ducts. An expansion joint is a flexible structure installed on a vessel shell or pipeline to compensate for the additional stresses caused by temperature differences and mechanical vibrations. It utilizes the effective expansion and contraction of its main working element, the bellows, to absorb dimensional changes in pipelines, conduits, containers, etc., caused by thermal expansion and contraction, or to compensate for axial, lateral, and angular displacements of such pipelines, conduits, and containers. It can also be used for noise reduction and vibration damping. In terms of heating, in order to prevent the heating pipes from deforming or being damaged due to thermal expansion or temperature stresses as they heat up, compensators need to be installed on the pipes to account for this thermal expansion. This helps to reduce the stress on the pipe walls as well as the forces acting on the valves or support structures.
Figure 2 shows the rotary compensator, which is a type of flexible component used to address issues such as thermal displacement and vibration in steam pipelines.
Is it an expansion joint? We use the welded type here
The rotation compensator is very useful.