From the outside, an elastomeric expansion joint looks to simply be made out of molded rubber. Part of the reason expansion joints are used in such a wide variety of applications is that the interior construction of a joint can be custom-designed to handle your specific application - materials of construction will depend on size, temperature, application, media, pressure (S.T.A.M.P.).
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Garlock launched of ABRA-SHIELD™ in 2018, an expansion joint material designed for abrasion resistance and sustainability in demanding high temperature operating conditions.
As the newest addition to Garlock’s family of abrasion resistant expansion joint materials, ABRA-SHIELD™ joined ABRA-LINE® and Natural Rubber to provide a variety of liners that cater to increased abrasion protection. ABRA-SHIELD™ will be an option for use with a number of expansion joint products that Garlock offers – including styles 204, 206, 7250, 8400 and 9394. These expansion joints also provide high levels of protection from stress, misalignment, vibration, noise, shock and corrosion.
The majority of nuclear power plants in the United States are approaching 40 years of age and some of the components installed during initial construction are beginning to show signs of wear. This is especially true of emergency diesel generator sets (EDGs) that provide backup power as necessary. Although varying in design, EDGs manufactured by Fairbanks-Morse, Cooper-Bessemer and Electro-Motive Diesel all produce excessive vibration. Propagated throughout a system, this vibration can cause various metal components to fail, often resulting in inoperability of the generators.
These failed components range from simple pipe supports and anchors to major piping for diesel oil or cooling water. There have been two common solutions that power plants have tried to remedy this problem, occasionally with temporary success. One solution is to use pipe loops to absorb some of the movement associated with the pipe’s thermal expansion. While these will support the
Gallagher Fluid Seals is proud to provide the Rubber Expansion Joint Surveys & Failure Analysis white paper to customers, which can be found on our Resources page. This white paper discusses the importance of inspecting your plant’s expansion joints. Proper design and maintenance of rubber expansion joints plays a major role in the overall preservation and lifespan of a piping system.
It also discusses failure analysis of rubber expansion joints and some of the leading causes of joint failure.
Below is an except from the white paper, discussing design and maintenance of rubber expansion joints, as well as the importance of expansion joint surveys.
GFS is excited to share that we now provide a variety of Garlock Expansion Joints on our website, readily availabe for purchase. These include the popular and proven style 204 and style 206 Expansion Joints.
About Garlock Expansion Joints:
Garlock Expansion Joints offer superior performance, reliability, and service life, resulting in improved plant safety and increased mechanical integrity of equipment. As specifically engineered products that are inserted in a rigid piping system, Garlock Rubber Expansion Joints will:
Flue gas desulfurization (FGD) is an efficient process commonly used in coal-fired power stations to remove sulfur dioxide, an environmentally harmful byproduct of burning coal, from flue gas. Because of component operational stresses and unplanned outage concerns, FGD system maintenance can be challenging. Due to the operational cycle length expected in coal-fired plants, regularly scheduled maintenance coupled with optimal component selection is essential to minimizing downtime.
Various types of FGD systems are in operation, with the most common being wet and dry types that use a lime or limestone slurry reagent. Pumping harsh slurry mixtures in a constant recycle loop imposes unrelenting wear on the piping components, creating the potential for unexpected failures. Expansion joints can be used to absorb the movement and vibration in piping systems, thereby preventing leaks or more serious damage.
Expansion joints are critical to the limestone slurry recirculating pumps
Protecting flexible metal components: why is it so important? After all, they’re made out of metal, right? Corrugated hose and metallic expansion joints are common ways to allow for flexibility in an otherwise inflexible piping system. The corrugations (also called “convolutions”) must change their shape as movements are encountered, providing the required flexibility to prevent damage to the piping system or the components attached to it. These corrugations must be very carefully designed and formed in order to provide the longest-lasting product with the highest cycle life.
Additionally, the end fittings that are attached to these hoses and expansion joints must mate properly with the adjoining piping system, in order to provide a leak-free installation. Therefore, it is of vital importance to ensure
Many members of the Fluid Sealing Association (FSA) Non-Metallic Expansion Joints Division and of the Expansion Joint Manufacturers Association (EJMA) feel that expansion joints are the forgotten components of many piping systems. Other piping system components—flanges, gaskets, strainers, valves, pumps and the pipe itself—seem to get most of the design time.
In many ways, expansion joints are the most important components of a well-designed piping system. They are the “living and breathing” dynamic part of the whole system.
Without well-designed and well-placed expansion joints, parts such as pump nozzles, valve bodies and pipe anchors could face excessive loading and vibrational fatigue. Without proper compensation, thermal growth at elevated temperatures can damage some pipes, reducing their operating life.
This article will discuss the basics of expansion joints and what you need to know for selection and specification.
Many types of expansion devices are used in industrial applications. Why are they necessary? As piping systems heat and cool, they experience changes in length caused by thermal expansion and contraction. The amount of this thermal expansion depends on the length of the piping run, the temperature differential, and the alloy of the pipe. For example, a 100-foot run of carbon steel pipe will expand 1.82 inches in length when its temperature increases from 70 degrees F. to 300 degrees F. The same pipe would expand 2.61 inches if it is made from 300 series stainless steel.
Because this expansion and contraction can apply huge stresses to the piping system, various methods have been utilized to compensate for these thermal movements. Let’s look at some of the types of expansion devices used, and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each type.