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270

BUCKLING OF DOUBLE BELLOWS EXPANSION JOINTS


UNDER INTERNAL PRESSURE
By D. E. Newland*
Corrugated bellows expansion joints may buckle under internal pressure in the same way
as an elastic strut may buckle under an axial load. This paper is concerned with the analysis
of this phenomenon for the universal expansion joint which incorporates two bellows
joined by a length of rigid pipe. The principal conclusion is that, by providing a correctly
designed supporting structure, the critical buckling pressure can be increased to up to
four times its value for the same system with no supports.

INTRODUCTION

incorporating two bellows expansion joints is shown in Fig. 1. Such an arrangement is


often used in practice because the assembly can accommodate expansion of the connecting pipe and also lateral and
axial movement of the anchorages. The anchorages might
be two process vessels which have to be dircaly connected,
or perhaps a process vessel and a fixed pipe support. At a
high enough internal pressure an instability may occur in
which the connecting pipe moves off its centre-line and
the two bellows deform. This buckling phenomenon
involves motion of the connecting pipe and bellows only,
since it is assumed (as is usually the case) that the anchorages are infinitely rigid compared with the flexibility
of the bellows and the bellows supporting structure. T o
reduce the susceptibility to buckling, lateral supports may
be provided as shown in Fig. 1. These resist movement of
the ends of the connecting pipe away from its centre-line
while not resisting expansion of the connecting pipe or
small lateral or axial movements of the anchorages caused
by temperature changes. The problem is to predict the
maximum internal pressure that the system can withstand
without this buckling instability occurring.
Haringx ( ~ )has
t considered the buckling of a single
bellows expansion joint. A conclusion of his work is that
the pressure buckling of a bellows is closely analogous to
the buckling of an axially loaded strut. For a strut it is well
known that buckling first occurs when the axial load (P,)
is given by
X2EI
42EI
P, = - or
A TYPICAL PIPE LAYOUT

12

12

The M S . of this puper mas f i r s t recezved at the Institution on 14th


January 1964 and in i t s revised f o r m , as accepted by the Council
for publicutzon, on 16th April 3964.
* Lecturer, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College,
London. Associate Member of the Institution.
t References are Riven in Appendix II.
J 0 U R N A L M E C HA hI C A L E N G I N E E R I X G S C I E N C E

depending on whether the ends of the strut are pinjointed or clamped. These same formulae have been
shown to be applicable ta the buckling of a bellows under
internal pressure where, if D, is the mean bellows diameter and p , is the internal gauge pressure when buckling
occurs,

The EI in the latter case is the equivalent bendkg stiffness


of the bellows. Some notes on the accuracy of this result
and on the calculation of EI for a corrugated bellows are
given in Appendix I.
T h e present paper is concerned with an extension of
Haringxs theory to the more complicated case of the
universal expansion joint shown in Fig. 1. On account of
the above results, the problem can be reduced to the
analysis of the buckling of an axially loaded discontinuous
strut supported by lateral springs in two locations as shown
in Fig. 4a. Two uniform elastic members representing the
two bellows are joined by a rigid section representing the
connecting pipe. The two ends of the composite strut are
assumed to be rigidly clamped to represent the two fixed
anchorages at each end of the assembly. However, since
the loading now comes, not from internal pressure, but
from an equivalent external axial force, it is assumed in
this model that one of these clamped ends can move axially
to allow the external load to be applied. Two lateral springs,
one at each end of the rigid section, represent the sideways
stiffness of the supporting structure shown in Fig. 1.
Quite apart from its practical significance, the analysis
of the buckling of this system is an interesting problem in
itself since different modes of buckling (different buckling
shapes) can occur. The important mode is the one which
occurs at the lowest pressure, and this changes as the
system parameters are altered.
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BUCKLING OF DOUBLE BELLOWS EXPANSION JOINTS UNDER INTERNAL PRESSURE


SECTION OF STRAIGHT
CONNECTING PIPE

PIDE EXTENSION TO PRESSURE VESSEL


C ? O W E R RIGID ANCHORAGE

<
\SLIDING
/
JOINT ALLOWS EXPANSION OF THE
CONNECTING PIPE AND ALSO SMALL A X I A L
AND LATERAL MOVEMENTS OF THE ANCHORAGES,
B U T RESISTS M O V E M E N T OF THE CONNECTING
PIPE *NAY RON I J S CENTRE-L N E IN BUCKLING

CORRUGATED STEEL BELLOWS


EXPANSION JOINT

Fig. 1. Schematic view of a universal expansion joint incorporating


Notation
Rotational spring stiffness (torque per unit angle).
Bellows inner diameter.
Bellows mean diameter.
Bellows outer diameter.
Youngs modulus.
Lateral shear force.
Second moment of cross-sectional area about neutral
axis of bending. Note: EZ for a corrugated bellows
is defined by analogy with the case for a uniform
elastic slender member. EZ = MI/+ where the
uniform bending moment M causes the ends of a
bellows of length E to rotate through the angle 4.
Lateral spring stiffness (force per unit deflection).
Half length of rigid connecting pipe.
Length of bellows.
Bending moment.
Number of corrugations.
Equivalent axial load = (r/4)Dm2
(internal pressure).
Equivalent axial load at buckling.
Internal gauge pressure at buckling.
Thickness of bellows wall.
Longitudinal (axial) co-ordinate.
Lateral (sideways) co-ordinate.

PIPE EXTENSION TO
A RIGID ANCHORAGE

two bellows units joined

by a straaght length of rigid pipe

the bellows. To a good approximation the end flanges of


each bellows then remain parallel to each other, and the
problem reduces to the analysis of a single bellows whose
ends are constrained parallel to each other. Using Haringxs
result, this in turn reduces to the analysis of the buckling
of an axially loaded strut whose ends are prevented from
rotation and which has a sideways stabilizing spring
(representing the supporting structure) as shown in Fig. 2.
If the equivalent bending stiffness of the strut is EI,
then with the symbols shown in Fig. 2, the deflection
equation for the strut is
d2Y
EZ-+P,y
dx2

. .

= PcS-M-k6x

(1)

The solution of this equation is


y = A cos ux+B sin ax----+6
kSx M
. (2)
Pc pc
in which A and B are arbitrary constants, 6 is the unknown
deflection and M the unknown bending moment at
x = 0, and a = d ( P c / E I ) . There are four boundary
conditions :
x=o,

y=s

. . .

(3)

x=l,

y=o

(5)

(P*/EZ).

Angular deflection.
Angular deflection.
Deflection of bellows end.
Poissons ratio.
Ratio of bellows diameters = Dl/Do.
A N A L Y S I S O F A SINGLE B E L L O W S

Consider the case when the length of the straight connecting pipe (Fig. 1) is much greater than the length of
J 0 U R X A L A1E C H A N I C A L E N G I V E E R I N G S C I E N C E

Using equations ( 3 ) and (4) gives

M
y = - (cos axpc
Vol6 NO 3 1964

D. E. NEWLAND

272

which with equations ( 5 ) gives


GUIDES P R E V E N T ROTATION
BUT PERMIT AXIAL
MOVE M ENT

and with equations (6) gives


M
k6
0 = -- a sin d+- (COS(YE-11) . . (8)
pc
pc
Eliminating MiPCbetween equations (7) and (8) gives the
equation for the buckling load

m
SPRl NG
STIFFNESS k

This may be rewritten as


sin ul [u

@--I)+ 2 tan

and it is consequently satisfied either by*


CCZ = 2 ~ ,47r, etc. .
or by
al

Fig. 2. Model for the analysis of a single bellows whose


end jlanges are held parallel

cd) = 0

+2(1-c0s

=0

(9)

. (gal

(9b)

The first solutions of equations (9b) and (9c) are shown


graphically in Fig. 3. This is a graph of non-dimensional
buckling load (a1)2 = PCl2/EIplotted against non-dimensional spring stiffness k13iEI. It shows that for small

* It can be seen that a1 = r, 37, ere., are not solutions since alzhougk
these values give sin

al =

0 they also give tan alj2 = 3 to.

n
d
0

a
5
J
Y

V
3

__--____~

00

4-2

S P R I N G STIFFNESS, k13/1

Fig. 3. Dependence of buckling loads on lateral spring sttxness for the model of Fig. 2
JOURNAL MECHANICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE

I701 6 No 3 1964

273

BUCKLING OF DOUBLE BELLOWS EXPANSION JOINTS UNDER INTERNAL PRESSURE

values of the stiffness k the solution (Sc), called mode lA,


gives a smaller buckling load than the solution (9b),
called mode 1B. However, on increasing the stiffness
eventually the situation is reversed. Then the solution of
equation (9c) is a value of PcZ2/EXgreater than 4.71~.I n this
case the strut buckles first in mode 1B. The shapes of the
buckled strut corresponding to the two different solutions
of equation (9b), mode lB, and equation (Sc), mode lA,
are shown in the inset diagram in Fig. 3. The solution of
equation (Sc), mode lA, involves a sideways movement of
the end of the strut and causes a deflection of the lateral
stabilizing spring. Mode lB, on the other hand, involves
no movement of the end of the strut which behaves as
though it were rigidly built in at both ends. The conclusion
is thus that when the stiffness of the sideways spring k has
been increased to the limiting value given by
kP
- = 47p
EX
the strut begins to act as though it were rigidly built in
at both ends, and further increase of k has no effect on the
(lowest) buckling load*.

SUPPORT ALLOWS AXIAL


MOVEMENT ONLY

MODE 1 :

BUCKLING LOAD THE SAME AS FOR THE


M O D E L SHOWN I N FIGURE 2

M O D E 2:

ANALYSED BY T H E M O D E L SHOWN BELOW

ANALYSIS O F T W O B E L L O W S

For the general case in which the connecting pipe is not


necessarily long, the model analysed is shown in Fig. 4.
It consists of two elastic struts joined by a rigid section.
The supporting structure shown in Fig. 1 is represented
by the two lateral springs, one at each end of the centre
section. Under the axial load P there are now two basically
different buckling modcs, Fig. 46 and c. I n mode 1 the
rigid member always stays parallel to its original direction.
In mode 2 rotation of the centre member occurs. Since in
mode 1 there is no rotation of the ends of the struts, the
analysis already given above for a single bellows also
applies here. As before there are therefore two sub-modes
1A and 1B: in 1A there is sideways deflection of the centre
member; in 1B the centre member does not move. The
buckling loads in these two modes are given by equations
(9b) and (9c).
For the second mode involving rotation of the centre
member a new analysis is necessary. This can be greatly
simplified by taking account of the symmetry of the
arrangement. The rigid connecting member must pivot
about its centre point and there can be no bending moment
here. Hence the model at the bottom of Fig. 4, in which
only half the system is shown with a pin-joint at its
centre, represents the new buckling situation. The deflection equation for this model is, for the uniform elastic
strut,
d2y

EZ-+PP,y
dx2

= M+Fx

. .

CQS

M Fx
ax+B sin EX+-+pc pc

* A similar phenomenon

(11)

holds for the buckling of a bar on elastic


supports arid is described by Timoshenko (2).

JOURNAL MECHANICAL E N G I N E E R I N G SCIENCE

PIN JOINT AT

4-b
Fig. 4. Model for the analysis of two bellows joined by a
rigid pipe, showing different buckling modes
where A and B are again arbitrary constants, M is the
unknown bending moment and F the unknown shear
force at x = 0, and v. = 2/(Pc/EZ). The boundary conditions are
x=o, y = o

x = o , -dY= o
dx

x=E,

y=6

(10)

and its solution is


y =A

From equation (11) and these four conditions it can be


shown that
1
F 8 [a sin a ~ + z(1-cos a ~ )
-=

P,

[a1sin aZ- 2( 1-cos al)]

(12)

.VoI 6 N o

3 1964

274

D. E. NEWLAND

and

I sin ul
6 1--0s az+--L
UL
M -_
P,
[2(1-cos crZ)-uZ sin uZ]

1.

(13)

There is also the equilibrium condition for the system as


a whole that
F(L+E)+M = k6L

. . (14)

Substituting for F and M from equations (12) and (13)


into equation (14) gives finally the equation for the buckling
load
.,

= kj2(1-cos d)-uZsin

rxl} (15)

When the length of the centre member is very great this


case becomes identical with that previously considered,
and when L + co it can be seen that equation (15) does
correctly reduce to the previous result, equation (9).
I n general, when L is finite, there are now the two
distinct buckling modes. I n mode 1 there is no rotation of
the centre member and the buckling load is given by
equation (9). There are two separate sub-modes 1A and
1R corresponding to the first two solutions of equation (9).
I n mode 2 there is rotation of the centre member and
equation (15) gives this buckling load. The first two solutions of equation (15) are plotted in Fig. 5 and compared

4172

with the solutions of equation (9), shown dotted. It can


be seen from Fig. 5, which is for the case Z/L = 0.1,
that, except for a small range of very small values of h, the
lowest buckling mode now occurs in mode 2, and is the
first solution of equation (15). For very small lateral
spring stiffness k the system can buckle in mode 1A at a
very slightly lower load than the first solution in mode 2.
Fig. 6 is a family of curves showing the first solution of
equation (15), mode 2, for different values of the length
ratio ZIL. Since the curve for Z/L = 0 is also the solution
for mode lA, the other curves are terminated where they
cross this line because mode 1A then has the lowest
buckling load. For any given system in which the properties EI of the bellows and Fz of the supporting structure
are known, Fig. 6 may be used to estimate the maximum
pressure that the expansion joint can withstand without
buclding.
CONCLUSIONS

Bellows expansion joints may buckle in the same way as


an axially loaded strut buckles. By modelling each bellows
as an equivalent axially loaded elastic strut, the buckling
pressure of the universal expansion joint shown in Fig. 1
has been derived. This depends on the length ratio 1/L
and on the lateral stiffness of the supporting structure k.
Fig. 6 shows a graph of the (non-dimensional) lowest
buckling load P,P/EI plotted as a function of the (nondimensional) spring stiffness kZ3/EIfor different values of

MODE 2 (SOLID L I N E )
MODE 16 (DOTTED)

,*-

MODE 1A

7
i /

o/----

MODE 18

~~~~

L
4

SPRING STIFFNESS, k 1 3 / I

T2

Fig. 5. Dependence of buckzing Zoads on Iateral spring stiflness for the modeZ of Fig. 4
JOURKAL MECHANICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE

Vol 6 hTo 3 1964

BUCKLING OF DOUBLE BELLOWS EXPANSION JOINTS UNDER INTERNAL PRESSURE


5

---

1 -~
7

275

pc=p,Pc

WHERE

pc =BUCKLING PRESSURE
D,,,=MEAN
DIAMETER

iii

>
9~301- -

d
Q

3
0

f
Y

u20-..-

10

20

30
SPRING STIFFNESS,

40

50

60

kL3/EI

Fig. 6. Relation between the lowest buckling load and the lateral spring stiffness for a universal
expansion joint (shown diagrammatically in the inset view)

the length ratio l/L. With the interpretation that the buckling load is defined by the equation
7r

,'l = D,'pc
4
where D , is the mean bellows diameter and p , is the inrcrnal gauge pressurc at buckling, and that Elis the equivalent bending stiffness of the bellows (see Appendix I),
this allows the pressure at which buckling first occurs to
be estimated.
If there is no supporting structure to stiffen the centre
pipe against sideways movement (i.e. k = 0), then

Exact values are shown in Fig. 6. The conclusion is thus


that a correctly designed supporting structure can increase the buckling pressure by up to four times its value
for the same system with no supports.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author is grateful to the Badger Company, Inc., of


Cambridge, Massachusetts, for bringing his attention to
this problem, and also to Professor J. P. Den Hartog and
to Mr A. Samoiloff,Research Engineer, Badger Company,
Inc., for the benefit of their helpful discussion and advice.
APPENDIX I

where 1 is the length of one bellows. The provision of


lateral stiffening increases this buckling load, the amount
depending on the length ratio l/L. I n many practical cases
IiL will be about 0.1 or smaller. The maximum buckling
load then approaches

it the sideways stiffness (at one end of the centre member)


15 made somewhat greater than
kl" 4dEI
_
- 4a2 or k =EI
13
Jot R K A I AIbLHANILAL

EhGINEERING SCIENCE

NOTE O N THE ACCURACY OF THE BASIC ASSUMPTIONS


AND O N THE ESTIMATION O F THE BENDING
S T I F F N E S S EI

T h e results of Haringx's paper (I) are really based on some earlier


work of his (3). This considers the instability of thin-walled
cylinders subjected t o internal pressure. It shows that Euler's
well-known buckling formulae apply where the effective axial
load includes both the force applied directly to the cylinder walls
and that applied indirectly by the internal pressure acting on the
cross-sectional area of the cylinder. The second paper (I) is
concerned with calculating the magnitude of the total force which
acts, and also the effective bending stiffness of a corrugated
bellows. Because of the complications of the calculation it is
restricted to a hypothetical bellows with rectangular-shaped
corrugations.
V d 6 No 3 I964

D. E. NEWLAND

2 76

In this paper it has been stated that the effective axial load to be
substituted in the Euler formula i s given by

That this is a good approximation, at least for a special case, may


be seen as follows. Consider the simplified case of a bellows with
rectangular-shaped corrugations made up of flat elastic rings
joined by rigid cylinders, Fig. 7. Exact results for this bellows are
quoted in (I). T h e exact equation for the effective buckling load
Pi is
(1 - p W - p4 +4pz In p )
Pc = ;? Dm'Pc L l + P ) {( I - p 2 ) 2 -4pa(ln P ) ~ }

%-

where D , is the mean diameter of the corrugations and p = DiiDo,


where D, is the outer diameter and D, thc inner diameter (Fig. 7).
I n a practical case p N 1.0. By putting p = (1 - 6 ) and then expanding the quantity in square brackets as a power series in <,
it can be shown that this quantity is exactly unity when p = 1.0
and only slightly less than unity for p < 1.0.For the case p =
it is 0.993, and thus, even for very deep corrugations, there is very
lictle error in assuming that

- z D,'p,
"-4

The solution of this is

P, = 4.69c/l
for the first buckling load. Substituting c = 8EI/Z then gives for
the critical load P,
P, = 373EI:P
For a continuous strut the corresponding result is

P, = 42EIi12 = 39.5EI/12
so that there is good agreement even for a bellows with only four
corrugations.
In order to use the results of this analysis quantitatively, the
effective bending stiffness EZ of the bellows must be known. If the
axial spring stiffness of the bellows is known (this is an easily
measured quantity, and it is generally tabulated by bellows manufacturers) then the bending stiffness can be deduced from its
value with good accuracy. By analogy with a thin-walled cylinder*

EI = +KDm21

* For a thin-walled cylinder of mean diameter D, and wall thickness, t

and

which is a considerable simplification.


The analyses of both Haringx's paper (I) and this paper assume
that the bellows can be treated as an elastic strut with uniformly
distributed properties. I n other words, strictly speaking the analysis
only applies for bellows with many corrugations. However, even
or a bellows with only four corrugations the error involved is
small. Consider the bellows in Fig. 7. T h e total flexibility is
divided equally between the eight flat elastic rings. If c is the rotational stiffness of one of these alone, the effective bending stiffness
EI is given by

EI = E x t -Om3
8
K = Ert-D",

1
Hence EIjK = +D.,"l as quoted above.

EI = ell8
Instead of using the results for a continuous strut with this value
of EI, a new analysis may be made using the model shown in
Fig. 8. The new model is a strut made up of rigid links joined
Together by eight spring hinges, the stiffness of each hinge being c.
By symmetry the buckled shaped of this system will be as shown in
Fig. 8 (for the lowest buckling load). By writing down rhe equilibrium conditions for the separate links, the following equation
for the buckling load may be obtained:

(P,Z)2-32~(P,l) +128c2 = 0

THICKNESS,f

T h e deformed shape at the lowest buckling load is also shown.

Fig. 7. Simplified bellows made up of j a t elastic rings


joined by straight rigid cylinders
10V R S A L M E C H A N I C A L E N G I N E E R IN G S C I E N C E

Fig. 8. Model of the simpl$ied bellows of Fig. 7 made up


of rigid links joined by eight spring hinges
T'ol6 No 3 I964

BUCKLING OF DOUBLE BELLOWS EXPANSION JOINTS UNDER INTERNAL PRESSURE

where K is the axial spring stiffness of the bellows, D, is its mean


diameter and I is its length. The accuracy of this expression may
again be checked by comparing it with the exact result for the
simplified bellows of Fig. 7. From the theory of bending of flat
rings the axial stiffness of the simplified bellows K is
2 4 1 - p Y 1 +pY
7
K=
where B is Youngs modulus, Y is Poissons ratio, t is the thickness
of the flat rings, D, is the mean diameter, and n is the number of
corrugations. The exact bending stiffness EI,,,,, can be calculated
from the results of Reissner (4) which are also quoted in ( I ) . It is
=

EPI
4 1 + P)
(1 -Y)n j6(p2-(1 +p2) In p-1)

where 1 is the length of the bellows.


If $KD,I is calculated for comparison with this exact result,
Et3Z z(1-p2)(1+p)
$KDm21= ___
(I - 3 ) n {lZ{(l -pp)2-4p2(1n ,o)~}
Hence

JOURNAL MECHANICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE

277

T h e quantity in square brackets is unity for p = 1.0 and only


slightly less than unity for p < 1.0. Putting p = f gives
+KDm21= O.96(EIe,,,,)
and so the assumption that
EI = AKDml
is also a w r y good approximation.

A P P E N D I X I1
REFERENCES
( I ) HARINGX,
J. A. Instability of bellows subjected to internal
pressure, Philips Res. Rep. 1952 7, 189.
(2) TIMOSHENKO,
S . P. and GEKE,J. M. Theory of elastic stability
second edition 1961, 74 (McGraw-Hill Book Co., Inc.,
New York).
(3) HARIMGX,
J. A. The instability of thin-walled cylinders
subjected to internal pressure, Philips Res. Rep. 1952 7,
112.
(4) REISSNER,
H. Uber die unsymmetrische Biegung dunner
Kreisringplatten, Ingenieur-Archiv 1929 1, 72.

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