Hanger Sizing

Spring Selection Procedure in

CAESAR II

Introduction

Vertical supports for deadweight

piping loads are easily located and
sized.
Differential (thermal) growth
between the support structure and
the pipe complicates the support
selection.
A choice must be made between
rigid, variable load, and constant
effort restraints.
CAESAR II Seminar

20 October, 2004

Deadweight Only
DW

With no thermal growth, a

weight analysis with a Y
restraint at the support location
will produce a load (DW) that
can be used to size the rod.
CAESAR II Seminar

20 October, 2004

Deadweight Only
DW

The rod diameter is selected to

carry the calculated deadweight
(DW) at the support location.

CAESAR II Seminar

20 October, 2004

Add Thermal Effects

As pipe heats up the load on

the rod shifts to the pipe,
increasing the primary (and
secondary) stress and
increasing the anchor load.
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20 October, 2004

What If This Is
Unacceptable?

The pipe may lift off the support.

The support may hold the pipe
down.
Redistributed pipe stress may be
excessive.
Support loads, too, are
redistributed and they may be
excessive elsewhere in the
system.
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20 October, 2004

A Force Can Replace

That Hard Restraint
DW

DW

Installed
Position

Operating
Position

A Perfect Support
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20 October, 2004

How Do You Do That?

DW

DW

DW
DW

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20 October, 2004

But That May Not Be

Practical
2*DW

The structure now carries twice the load

Maintenance may be troublesome

CAESAR II Seminar

20 October, 2004

A Constant Effort Hanger

Approximates This Ideal Support

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20 October, 2004

So Whats Wrong With That?

Constant effort supports are not

cheap.
They allow position drift if the load
is not accurate.
Internal friction requires a greater
load to start movement

CAESAR II Seminar

20 October, 2004

Is There a Compromise?

Between a rigid restraint to carry the

deadweight and an applied force to
carry the deadweight through a
thermal travel?
Rigid support has k approaching
Constant force has k approaching 0
How about a spring support and its
finite k?
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20 October, 2004

A Spring Hanger

Min. Load

Max. Load

CAESAR II Seminar

20 October, 2004

Only One Balance Point

You can pre-set the ideal design

load (assumed DW in our
example) for only one position.
At other positions, the load will
change as a function of the spring
rate, k, and the position.
This imbalance is usually
acceptable.
CAESAR II Seminar

20 October, 2004

So we can tolerate some

inaccuracy
DW

DW - k

(factory preset)

(close enough?)

Installed
Position

Operating
Position

CAESAR II Seminar

20 October, 2004

Or maybe we can be
smarter about it
DW + k

DW

(factory preset)

(hits the target!)

Installed
Position

Operating
Position

CAESAR II Seminar

20 October, 2004

Introducing Hot Load

and Cold Load

Hot Load (HL) is the target load

which the hanger should support in
the operating condition.
Cold Load (CL) is the intentionally
incorrect load at which the spring is
pre-set, in order to get to the Hot
Load after moving.

CL = HL + k
CAESAR II Seminar

20 October, 2004

Load Variation

Load Variation = Load Change

relative to Hot Load.

| HL CL | | k |
LV = -------------- = -------HL
HL
Often limited by spec, to 10-25%.
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20 October, 2004

How Can You Select the

Correct Spring?

It is a matter of load and deflection.

The spring size (using Grinnell
terminology) indicates a range of
loads that can be carried by a
spring.
The spring figure number (again
Grinnell) relates to support travel.

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20 October, 2004

The Grinnell Spring Table

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20 October, 2004

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Increasing Load

Hanger Size vs. Load

Increasing Capacity

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20 October, 2004

Recommended & Maximum

Load & Travel
Min. Load
Rec. Travel

Max. Travel

Rec. Min. Load

Rec. Max. Load

Max. Load

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20 October, 2004

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Mid Range

Spring Travel

Short:Mid:Long::1:2:4

Short Range
Long CAESAR
RangeII Seminar

20 October, 2004

Spring Rates for the 3 Sizes

Short

Long
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Mid

20 October, 2004

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How Can Differing Travel Limits

Provide the Same Load Limits?

By changing the spring rate.

(F=k)

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20 October, 2004

Relating k &

k=1:2:4

=4:2:1

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20 October, 2004

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How Do You Select the

Correct Spring Support?

Its a matter of load and deflection.

Basic input required:

Support load to be carried;

Required vertical travel of the
support.

Assume balancing load (DW) to be

carried in the operating position.
Installed load will be DW+k.
CAESAR II Seminar

20 October, 2004

Determine Data to Pick

the Spring
1) Calculate DW by adding a rigid
vertical restraint at the hanger
location and run a weight
analysis.

This will estimate the natural load

carried by a support at each
selected location
It can be adjusted to suit design
We usually call this the Hot Load
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20 October, 2004

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Determine Data to Pick

the Spring
2) Calculate by replacing that Y
restraint with a vertical force
equal to DW and run an operating
analysis.

This vertical growth, , must be

less the travel range of the
support
This is used with the Hot Load
and proposed spring rate to
calculate a proposed Cold Load
CAESAR II Seminar

20 October, 2004

Test the First Possible Spring

Enter the hanger table with the

balance load DW and the vertical
growth at the support point .
Find a smallest spring size that can
carry the operating load (DW).
Use the k of the short range spring
(highest k) of this size and see if it
can carry the installed load
(DW+k).
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20 October, 2004

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Search for the First One

That Works

If both operating load and installed

load are within the recommended
range for the spring, a workable
spring is now identified.
If not, try the midrange spring of
the same size (divide k by 2).
If not that, try the long range spring
(once again dividing the k by 2).
CAESAR II Seminar

20 October, 2004

Moving to Other Figures

And if that doesnt work, move up

to the next larger figure and repeat
until a spring is found.
If this fails, divide the support load
by 2 (DW/2) and restart the
selection process. This time
selecting two springs to support
the pipe.
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20 October, 2004

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Variations

The pipe grows down.

is negative
Cold = DW+k
Hot Load > Cold Load

Cold load design.

Cold Load = DW
Hot Load = DW-k

Installed

Operating
Op.= DW+k

Inst.=DW
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20 October, 2004

An Example

Using the Grinnell table, select a

spring that will carry the balancing
load (DW) in the operating
position.

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20 October, 2004

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Compute Data (DW)

Run a weight analysis with a rigid

vertical restraint at this location.
The load on this restraint will be
the balancing load for the support
in the operating condition.
For this example, let the load (DW)
be 900 lbf.

CAESAR II Seminar

20 October, 2004

Compute Data ()

Now remove the rigid vertical

restraint and replace it with an
ideal support in the form of an
upward force equal to DW.
Run an operating analysis with this
force and compute the vertical
growth at this location.
For this example, let the vertical
thermal growth () be +1.2 inches
at this location.
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20 October, 2004

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Go to the Table

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20 October, 2004

Find the First Spring to

Carry DW
Size 9
works

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20 October, 2004

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Whats the Spring Rate?

The short
range spring
rate (k) is
400 lbf./in.

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20 October, 2004

Calculate the Installed Load

Operating load is 900 lbf.

Op. = DW
The installed load for a short range
spring is 1380 lbf.
Inst. = DW+k = 900 + 400(1.2)

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20 October, 2004

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Check If This Spring

Can Carry the Load
Maximum
recommended
load for a
Size 9 spring
is 1200 lbf.

(The table
shows only
3/4 inch travel
available.)

CAESAR II Seminar

20 October, 2004

Continue the Search

Clearly a short range spring does

not work.
Move to a midrange spring.
kmid = kshort/2
Try k = 200 lbf./in.
Inst. = DW+k = 900 + 200(1.2)
Inst. = 1140 lbf.
This works; max. load is 1200 lbf.
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20 October, 2004

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Check Load Variation

It is important to minimize the load

shift at supports in moving from the
installed position to the operating
position.
This is measured by Load Variation
(L.V.)
Load Variation = (Inst.-Op.)/Op.
Inst.

= Installed (usually Cold) Load

Op. = Operating (usually Hot) Load
CAESAR II Seminar

20 October, 2004

Using Load Variation

With DW and given, L.V. can

only change as k changes.
Remember that k changes by 4:2:1
in going from short to long range
springs.
Moving to the next longer spring
will halve the Load Variation and
the load need not be checked.
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20 October, 2004

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Check Load Variation

L.V. = load change / balance load

L.V. = (Inst.-Op.)/Op.
or = (Cold-Hot)/Hot
L.V. = k/DW
L.V. = 240/900 = 27%
This load variation is excessive.
Move from midrange to long range
spring to cut L.V. in half
L.V.long = L.V.mid/2
CAESAR II Seminar

20 October, 2004

Review the Selection

We have a long range (Fig. 98), size 9

spring.
It will carry a balancing load of 900 lbf.
in the operating position,
and carry 1020 lbf. [900+(100)1.2] in
the installed position.
The load variation for this spring is an
acceptable 13.5%.
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20 October, 2004

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CAESAR II Listing

CAESAR II Seminar

20 October, 2004

Check the Spring Capacity

Maximum recommended load = 1200

Minimum recommended load = 700
At 900-1020, we are in the middle; OK

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20 October, 2004

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Actual Installed Load

Spring support balances the

design load (DW) in the operating
position. This is the Hot Load
Typically, the Theoretical Installed
Load is DW+k. This is out of
balance.
The Actual Installed Load is a
separate calculation to check for
hanger deflection due to this
imbalance.
CAESAR II Seminar

20 October, 2004

Actual Installed Load

Most spring hangers have little

difference between the Theoretical
and Actual Installed Load.
A flexible system or a large load
variation will cause the Actual
Installed Load to differ.
Look at the restraint loads in the
installed position to check or run
the extra load case in hanger
design.
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20 October, 2004

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CAESAR II Hanger Data

Node Info.

Design Data

Defined Hanger
Data
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20 October, 2004

You can modify the support load

Set your own
Hot Load

Shift load from

existing supports
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20 October, 2004

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