WHAT DOES A COMPENSATOR DO ?; They are flexible metal bellows parts that are responsible for removing the large dimensional changes that occur in the compensator pipelines. They are used in pipelines for two purposes. The first of these purposes is expansion and the second is vibration. Compensators, which are used extensively such as pumps, blowers, ventilators, coolers, cooling towers, air compressors, ventilation systems, petrochemical and industrial piping systems, power plants, iron and steel industry, shipyard, ship industry, are responsible for eliminating the pressure on the installation. These elements may consist of one or more bellows. When choosing the compensator, features such as areas to be used, temperature, pressure, amount of movement, and fluid level should be considered. Considering all these factors, the choice to be made will result in correct use and therefore efficient results.
Particularly, flexible metal bellows parts that eliminate the dimensional change caused by expansion or contraction due to heat in pipelines carrying hot and cold fluids or exposed to high environmental temperature changes are called compensators. If no measures are taken against dimensional changes in the pipelines, the intense pressure on the installation will be reflected on the connection points and devices in the system. The most suitable and cost-effective solution for eliminating these and similar problems is metal bellows compensators, which are designed with the ability to eliminate different types of movements without the need for any maintenance. In short, it can be defined as a compensator, which contains one or more bellows elements, used to absorb the dimensional change caused by thermal expansion and contraction in pipelines, channels and tanks, and to eliminate the problems that occur with it. The main element of the expansion parts (compensator) are metal bellows. Its shape works like a spring because it is made of single or multi-layer stainless steel material. In order for the compensators to be used in systems where they are needed, they must be designed in accordance with the working conditions (temperature, pressure, amount of movement, fluid properties).
WHAT DOES A COMPENSATOR DO?
Expansion Joints, which have a wide range of usage areas, are flexible expansion elements that ensure the continuity of the operation of industrial systems by eliminating the expansion and contraction experienced in pipelines that carry fluid and are exposed to high temperature changes. Compensators, also called expansion elements in short, are structural elements that eliminate the expansion and contraction of pipelines and therefore the vibrations that occur in the installation. Thanks to their flexibility, they ensures uninterrupted and efficient operation of industrial systems. Expansion joints have started to be used especially with the emergence of thermal expansions in pipelines as a major problem.
Expansion joints are flexible metal bellows parts that are responsible for removing large dimensional changes in pipelines. They are used in pipelines for two purposes. The first of these purposes is expansion and the second is vibration. Compensators, which are used extensively such as pumps, blowers, ventilators, coolers, cooling towers, air compressors, ventilation systems, petrochemical and industrial piping systems, power plants, iron and steel industry, shipyard, ship industry, are responsible for eliminating the pressure on the installation. These elements may consist of one or more bellows.
TYPES
The expansion joint, which has a very wide usage area, is generally used in piping, thermal pressure vessels, transportation industries and transportation industries. Compensators are also produced in many types and in many materials to absorb the movement in pipes carrying substances at every pressure, at every diameter and at every temperature. Compensators are divided into types according to the areas they will be used and the application types.
1- Metal Bellows Axial Expansion Joints: Axial compensators are the elements that absorb the expansions caused by the temperature differences of the fluids passing through the pipelines along the pipe axis.
2- External Pressure Compensator: External pressure compensators are axial type metal bellows. Movement amounts are limited in axial type metal bellows compensators.
3- Limit Rod Dilatation Compensator: Dilatation compensators are placed at dilatation transition points in piping systems, absorbing independent movements brought by different masses sitting on the ground and horizontal and vertical movements brought to the system by all kinds of ground movements, ensuring safe operation of the systems.
4- Limit Rod Vibration Absorber Expansion Joint: They are the elements that are connected to the inputs and outputs of the vibrating devices, absorb the vibrations and noises, do not transfer them to the pipe system and relax the system.
5- Rubber Compensator: Rubber compensators are heat-resistant expansion elements that absorb vibration and noise in pipelines. Rubber compensators isolate vibrations and intense sounds from all directions due to their very soft skeleton structure and prevent noise formation.
6- Cardan Jointed (Seismic) Dilatation and Earthquake Compensator: Cardan-joint compensators are placed at the dilatation transition points in piping systems, absorbing the independent movements brought by different masses sitting on the ground and the movements in the x, y, z directions brought to the system by all kinds of ground, ensuring the safe operation of the systems.
7- Pipe Compensator: Pipe compensators are used to take the expansion and contraction movements caused by temperature difference in the heating and hot water column lines of high-rise buildings.
8- Lens Compensators
9- Square Compensators
CRITERIA AFFECTs TO COMPENSATOR DESIGNS
In the most general sense, the expansion joints consist of one or more corrugations and are the elements that provide the connection of the bellows part and the related installation or hardware (flange, neck, etc.). Ondulation is the smallest flexible unit of a bellows. The total expansion value of the bellows and therefore the compensator is directly proportional to the number of corrugations. The corrugation must have sufficient flexibility to compensate for thermal expansions, while at the same time being designed with excellent resistance to the conditions of pressure, temperature and flows, it must be able to complete a certain service life. The bellows is the flexible part of the compensator, consisting of one or more corrugations. The number of corrugations forming the bellows varies depending on the total expansion amount. The weld neck is used in pipelines to make a welded connection of the compensator to the pipe. In general, they can also be manufactured from carbon steel materials. The Inner Sleeve (Layner) is generally made of thin-walled stainless steel material with the same characteristics as the metal bellows material. Liners are also frequently used in order to prevent turbulence and flow resistance caused by the edulation of the inner surface of the bellows and the fluid. Although the sleeve is not required under normal conditions, it should definitely be used in the situations mentioned below and in systems with high flow rate. Factors affecting the design of the compensators are;
PIPE DIAMETER
The diameter of the pipeline where the expansion joints will be used determines the diameter of the expansion joints. The diameters of the compensators determine the ability to absorb the pressure and temperature values that they can withstand in different ways (axial, lateral, angular).
PRESSURE
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The most important element in the design of expansion parts (compensator) is the exact determination of the maximum and minimum pressure values.
HEAT
While determining the operating temperatures of the compensators (expansion parts), all possible heat sources in the places where the compensators will be connected and their temperature values should be examined.
FLUID
Before choosing the compensator, the fluid (liquid) that will come into contact with the metal bellows must be specified in advance. Special materials and designs are required for operating conditions such as wear, corrosion and density. And during the use of the expansion joints, the materials used in the cleaning of the pipe systems must be compatible with the bellows material.
MOTIONS OF MOVEMENT & WHAT DOES A COMPENSATOR DO?
Movements caused by temperature changes that the compensators will be exposed to should be determined. Compensators are designed to take movements in three different ways. These movements, which determine the design and type of the compensators, can be classified as Axial, Lateral and Angular.
Axial Movements: Bellows are movements that occur parallel to the axis line and occur as expansion (opening) or contraction.
Lateral Movements: It is the vertical movements of the compensators in the form of deflection or sliding to the bellows element axis. These movements can also occur on more than one axes.
Angular Movements: These are the movements caused by the bending of the compensators along their axis.
OVERVIEW: Flexicraft Compensators are perfect for pipe diameters up to 4" when axial movement is required due to thermal expansion. The expansion compensators are stocked with both 2" and 3" compression ability in weld, thread, or flanged ends.
They are stocked for quick shipments.
For copper pipe, see our S Compensators with sweat ends. For greater movements and larger diameters, see our Model EPs.
Also available are pipe guides for use with these joints.
FEATURES:
Allows long axial compression movements of 2" or 3" for smaller sizes
Kept in stock
Available with either flanges, thread ends, or weld ends
APPLICATIONS:
4" and under sizes for thermal expansion compression movements of steel piping systems
TEMPERATURE: -20 to 750°F
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Stainless Steel Corrugated Compensator.