.

Better piping and

expansion joint design
The requirement that metal bellows
joints in high temperature
piping systems be designed for piping
test levels unnecessarily
penalizes expansion joint operation
and increases costs
D; J. Peterson, Pathway Bellows, Inc., Oak Ridge, Tenn.
HIGH TEMPERATURE GAS piping systems in refineries
and petrochemical complexes incorporate a variety of com-
ponents in addition to the piping. These components involve
a variety of materials other than basic piping materials.
Also, the various components frequently operate at tempera-
tures below the process temperature. Nevertheless, system
designers frequently write common hydrostatic test pressure
sp:::cifications for the entire system regardless of these differ-
ences in piping and component materials and operating tem-
peratures.
Generally, the material used as the basis for this common
system hydrostatic test pressure calculation is the piping ma-
terial. This is the material of largest usage and often the ma-
terial with the lowest allowable strength at the design tem-
perature.
As a result, some component designers are forced to over-
design their equipment, adding unnecessarily to equipment
weight and cost. In the case of metal bellows expansion
joints (Fig. 1) this practice not only adds cost, but also can
impair operation by compromising other specification re-
quirements such as low reaction forces, maximum fatigue
life, stiffness and overall length.
Metal bellows expansion joints are unique among piping
system components. Seldom are other components designed
not only for adequate strength or rigidity, but also for accept-
ing deflections with relative low resistance forces or mo-
ments. Logic tells us that a bellows' strength increases as
thickness increases. However, allowable deflection increases
as thickness decreases. This apparent dichotomy is not without
solution, and a balancing act between strength and "weak-
ness" will produce a "best-fit" metal bellows expansion
joint design.
Another unique characteristic of metal bellows expansion
joints that must be dealt with is column instability or
Fig. 1-Typical FCCU gas duct system.
"squirm" (Fig. 2). This potential failure mode is a function
of the bellows' length, spring rate, diameter and working
pressure. The stiffer the bellows, the higher the pressure at
which squirm will occur. Unfortunately, a stiffer bellows is
less able to accept deflection.
If a metal bellows expansion joint must meet the hydro-
Hydrocarbon Processing, January 1991 89
ol
I
i
l
'
.ii
:]J
.,.
;!
:y;
'K'
Fig. 2-"Squirm" damage due to improper design.
static test pressure requirements of the high temperature pip-
ing system without allowance for material or temperature
differences, it is severely penalized because no account can
be taken for the significant difference that usually exists be-
tween the hot and cold allowable strengths of the materials.
Table 1 shows the resultant bellows and pipe thickness in a
hot wall pipe system designed to contain 45 psig gas at
1,300F. This is typical of the conditions found in a fluid ca-
talyic cracking unit. Bellows are generally left uninsulated in
these systems, and often a thermal barrier exists between the
media and the bellows, resulting in the bellows operating at
well below 1 ,000F. This temperature reduction is easily cal-
culated, and field measurements performed at many refin-
ery installations confirm that the bellows actually do operate
at 1 ,000F or less if left uninsulated externally.
Table 2 shows the bellows thicknesses that result from the
hydrostatic test pressure option selected for the specification.
The bellows design which results from the hydrotest pressure
dictated by the piping design is 3.13 times heavier than the
design that is based upon the real operating temperature of
the bellows.
Substantial penalties are paid for the decision to impose
the pipe hydrotest pressure on the expansion joint design.
The spring rate increases by a factor of 28, and the cycle life
is reduced by a factor of 317. To maintain the same cycle life
with the heavier wall design, many more convolutions would
have to be added to the bellows. Sometimes this results in a
bellows design that is so long that it is marginal for column
squirm at hydrostatic test or for operating conditions. While
the heavy wall bellows may satisfy the piping hydrostatic test
requirements, it is not the best design for the application.
Table 2 also shows how expansion joint hardware (Fig. 3)
designed to restrain the pressure thrust of the expansion be-
90 Hydrocarbon Processing, January 1991
TABLE 1
Comparison of allowable stress and hydrostatic test pressure of a typical duct material and
an unreinforced, 50 in. diameter, D, expansion joint operating at a media temperature of
1 ,300F and a pressure, P, of 45 psig. Bellows pitch is 1.875 in. Convolution height is 2 in.
T3D4 Stainless steel IBOOH Bellows
duct material material
Cold allowble stress, S,, at 70F 18,800 psi 16,200 psig
Hot allowable stress, Sh, at 1 ,300F-Media
temperature
Hot allowable stress, Sh. at 1 ,000F-Bellows
operating temperature
Minimum calculated thickness, T. for 1 ,300F
design temperature- T = PDI2Sh for dueling.
-Standards of the expansion Joint Manufactur
ers Assn. (EJMA) for bellows design.
Temperature adjusted hydrates! pressure (45 (1.5)
(Sh IS,)) at 1 ,300F
Minimum calculated thickness for 1 ,000F bellows
operating temperature
Temperature adjusted hydrates! pressure (45 (1.5)
(Sh IS c)) at 1 ,000f
TABLE 2
3,700 psi
N/A
0.304 in.
343 psig
N/A
N/A
4,700 psi
14,400 psi
0.125 in.
'
233 psig
0.048 in.
, 76 psig
Data showing the impact of selection of design temperature and system hydrostatic test
pressure, P
1
, on bellows performance. The performance information is based upon imposing
a fixed movement on bellows of the same convolution count operating at Table 1 conditions.
The bellows effective area, A, is 2,124 in
2
.
Recommended
bellows
thickness
Bellows
spring
rate
Cycle life
per ANSI
831.3
Appendix X
Crosssectional
area of T3D4
stainless steel
structural shape
required to
restrain pressure
thrust during
hydrostatic test =
AP
1
/(1.5S,)
Case 1 For bellows actual operating temperature of 1 ,000F, and hydrostatic test pressure of
76 psig based on bellows material (see T a b ! ~ 1):
0.048 in. I 1,559 lblin. I 6,660 5.7 in.2
Case 2 far bellows design temperature of 1 ,300F and hydrostatic test pressure of 233 psig
based on bellows mrteriai (see Table 1):
0.125 in. 25,600 lb/in. 45 17.5 in.2
Case 3 For bellows design temperature of 1 ,300f hydrostatic test pressure of 343 psig.
Based on duct materai (see Table 1):
0.150 in. 44,300 lb/in. 21 25.8 in.
2
Note-The above examples are for unreinforced bellows. By adding rootring reinforcement,
thinner bellows would result for Cases 2 and 3. However, the basic problem of loss of bellows
performance as hydrostatic test pressure increases is not avoided by adding bellows rein-
forcement.
Gimbaled expansion joint (GEJ)
PGl
lA:
G:
HEJ:
GEJ:
Planar guide
Intermediate anchor
Guide
Hinge expansion joint
Gimbal expansion joint
lA: Intermediate anchor
PG: Planar guide
TUEJ: Tied universal expansion joint
Hinged expansion joint (HEJ)
A
Fig. 3-Expansion joint hardware and supports.
comes very massive if the pipe hydrotest pressure is im-
posed. Generally, the restraint hardware is a significant por-
tion of an expansion joint cost. Since this hardware usually
operates at a temperature between ambient and 1 ,000F, de-
signing the hardware for the hydrostatic test pressure can be
a needless waste of material. Massive hardware attachments
on high temperature piping also can be the cause of undesir-
able stress with subsequent cracking. It is well documented
that large temperature differentials and damaging stress lev-
els can result from the varying rate of heat-up of heavy sup-
port hardware and the piping to which it is attached in high
temperature piping systems. Heavier is not always better.
Fortunately the concept of relaxing test requirements
when they exceed their real purpose is not uncommon and is
in fact allowed by the various codes. For example, hydro-
static testing of piping and vessel systems after installation is
routinely waived when it is obvious that the design of the
support structures to carry the weight of the hydrostatic test
water is economically prohibitive.
ASME Code Sections III and VIII and the ANSI codes
provide relief for this metal bellows expansion joint design
problem of excessively high hydrostatic test pressure:
(1) Section VIII, Division 1, Paragraph UG-99 (b) states:
"Except as otherwise permitted in (a) above and (k) below, vessels
designed for internal pressure shall be subjected to a hydrostatic test
pressure which at every point in the vessel is at least equal to 1
1
12
times the maximum allowable working pressure to be marked on the
vessel multiplied by the lowest ratio (for the materials of which the
vessel is constructed) of the stress value S for the temperature on the
vessel to the stress valueS for the design temperature (see UG-21 ).
All loadings that may exist during this test shall be given consider-
ation."
(2) ASME Section III, Nuclear Code, Paragraph nd-
3649.4(2) entitled "Bellows ExpansionJoint Design," recog-
the ratio of the modulus of elasticity at design temperature
vs. ambient in lieu of the ratio of the allowable stresses. It
states:
"In the case of squirm tests, the equivalent cold service pressure is
defined as the Design Pressure multiplied by the ratio of E/ Eh
where E, and Eh are defined as the modulus of elasticit)' of the bel-
lows material at room temperature and normal service temperature,
respectively."
B c
(3) ANSI B31.3 Piping Code, 1987 Edition, Appendix X,
entitled "Design Requirements for Expansion Joints" recog-
nizes the effect on bellows instability when hydrostatic test
pressures are adjusted for temperature. It states in Para.
X3.2.3 entitled Leak Test:
"(a) Expansion joints shall be shop leak tested in accordance with
para. 34 5 except that if the test pressure adjusted for temperaure as
stated in 345.4.2, will produce a membrane stress in excess of the
yield strength or cause permanent dtformation or instability
(squirm) of the bellows at the test temperature, he test ressure ma
be reduced to the maximuyeuure Ji:Jf!.t will not excee ytel or
cause instabilit .
b) The expansion joint design shall be such that it will withstand
test pressure not less than 1. 5 times the design pressure during hy-
drostatic testing or 1.1 times the design pressure during pneumatic
testing.
(c) Expansion joints designed to resist jmssure thrust shall not be
provided with arry additional axial restraint during the leak test.
Moment restraint simulating piping n'gidity may be applied if nec-
essary."
When these three codes are taken together, they permit
the hydrotest of an expansion joint bellows to be as low as
f.5 times the design pressure. This prevents costly thickness
overdesign just to meet a higher than necessary hydrostatic
test pressure dictated by the piping material, and it reduces
the possibility of squirm or instability during test.
By differentiating between actual component needs in es-
tablishing high temperature system hydrostatic test pres-
sures, a designer can save significant costs and provide opti-
mum operating characteristics for the entire system.
The author
David J. Peterson is a product manager for
Pathway Bellows, Inc., Oak Ridge, Tenn. He re-
ceived a BS degree in mechanical engineering
from the University of Minnesota, and prior to
joining Pathway in 1978, he worked for Texaco
and Flexonics. During his 12-year career with
Pathway, he has held the positions of district
manager, technical director, national sales man-
ager, and marketing manager. He is currently re-
sponsible for the metal expansion joint product group.