What are the tips for selecting a compensator?

Release time:

2021-12-22

　　Compensators are commonly referred to as expansion joints or flexible connectors. They consist of a bellows—typically the primary working element (an elastic component)—as well as end pipes, supports, flanges, conduits, and other associated components. They are classified as compensating elements. By utilizing the effective tensile deformation of the bellows—their primary working element—they can absorb dimensional changes caused by thermal expansion and contraction in pipelines, ducts, vessels, and other such systems, or compensate for axial, lateral, and angular displacements in these systems. They can also be used to reduce noise levels. In modern industry, they find wide-ranging applications. To prevent heating pipelines from undergoing thermal expansion during heating, and to avoid deformation or damage to the pipeline due to thermal expansion or temperature-induced stresses, compensators are installed on pipelines to accommodate thermal expansion. This helps reduce stress on the pipeline walls and minimizes the forces acting on valves or support structures.

What are the selection tips for compensators?

　　The compensator accommodates 2D directional displacement of single expansion joints in rectangular cross-section, rounded-wave profiles, and pipelines. A bent pipe composed of two expansion joints can withstand displacement in three dimensions. Rectangular, rounded-metal bellows expansion joints—depending on the overall height, half-height, and size of the flue—can be configured with multiple sections based on stress-strain conditions, allowing users to make their selection accordingly.

　　1. After the user selects a suitable compensator based on the thermal displacement of the system, they must provide at least the following information: the medium flowing inside the pipe, the design pressure of the flue and duct, the operating temperature, and the shape (length and width) of the flue and duct cross-section. Additionally, they should specify the selected wave form (with a full height of 216 mm and a half height of 108 mm) and the number of waves (with each corrugation having no more than 6 waves). This information is essential for the structural design and manufacturing of the compensator.

　　2. Per-wave allowable expansion: Full height = 24 mm; half height = 12 mm.

　　3. Plasterboard: Wind direction or low-dust ducts may not be required; however, flues with high dust levels must use plaster.

　　4. To reduce the number of wave sections in the bellows, a cold drawing of 50% should be considered.

　　5. The compensator is suitable for applications where the cross-sectional area is less than 4.6 square meters and one of the flue or duct dimensions is less than 1.5 meters but greater than 0.6 millimeters. The standard full-height corrugated compensator is applicable to all flue and duct systems.

　　What are the material classifications of compensators?

　　Metal

　　Metal bellows compensators are manufactured from austenitic stainless steel or according to customer requirements, and feature excellent flexibility, corrosion resistance, high-temperature resistance (-235~450°C), high-pressure resistance (32 MPa), temperature compensation, vibration absorption, and noise reduction.

　　Nonmetallic fabric

　　The flexible components that form the main body of the workpiece are made of non-metallic materials; typically, fiber fabrics are combined with rubber materials. This material can replace fiber fabrics under various conditions, except at high temperatures (above 400°C), where it no longer meets the required usage specifications.

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