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

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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

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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.
CAESAR II Seminar 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.

CAESAR II Seminar 20 October, 2004

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 A Force Can Replace
That Hard Restraint…
DW
DW

Installed Operating
Position Position

…A Perfect Support
CAESAR II Seminar 20 October, 2004

How Do You Do That?

DW DW

DW

DW

CAESAR II Seminar 20 October, 2004

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 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

CAESAR II Seminar 20 October, 2004

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So What’s 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?
CAESAR II Seminar 20 October, 2004

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 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

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 So we can tolerate some
inaccuracy…
DW DW - k∆
(factory preset) (close enough?)

Installed Operating
Position Position

CAESAR II Seminar 20 October, 2004

Or maybe we can be
smarter about it…
DW + k∆ DW
(factory preset) (hits the target!)

Installed Operating
Position Position

CAESAR II Seminar 20 October, 2004

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 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%.

CAESAR II Seminar 20 October, 2004

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 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.

CAESAR II Seminar 20 October, 2004

The Grinnell Spring Table

CAESAR II Seminar 20 October, 2004

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 Hanger Size vs. Load

Increasing Load
Increasing Capacity

CAESAR II Seminar 20 October, 2004

Recommended & Maximum

Load & Travel
Min. Load
Rec. Min. Load
Max. Travel
Rec. Travel

Rec. Max. Load

Max. Load

CAESAR II Seminar 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

Long Mid
Short CAESAR II Seminar 20 October, 2004

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 How Can Differing Travel Limits
Provide the Same Load Limits?

„ By changing the spring rate.

(F=kδ)

CAESAR II Seminar 20 October, 2004

Relating k & δ

δ=4:2:1
k=1:2:4

CAESAR II Seminar 20 October, 2004

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 How Do You Select the
Correct Spring Support?
„ It’s 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+kδ.

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
CAESAR II Seminar 20 October, 2004

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Determine Data to Pick
the Spring
2) Calculate δ by replacing that Y
restraint with a vertical force
equal to DW and run an operating
analysis.
„ This vertical growth, δ, must be
less the travel range of the
support
„ This δ 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 – δ.
„ 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+kδ).
CAESAR II Seminar 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 doesn’t 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.

CAESAR II Seminar 20 October, 2004

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 Variations
„ The pipe grows down. Installed

‹ δ is negative
‹ Cold = DW+kδ
Operating
‹ Hot Load > Cold Load
„ Cold load design.
Op.= DW+kδ
‹ Cold Load = DW
‹ Hot Load = DW-kδ

Inst.=DW
CAESAR II Seminar 20 October, 2004

An Example
„ Using the Grinnell table, select a
spring that will carry the balancing
load (DW) in the operating
position.

CAESAR II Seminar 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 (δ)

„ 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 (δ) be +1.2 inches
at this location.
CAESAR II Seminar 20 October, 2004

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Go to the Table

CAESAR II Seminar 20 October, 2004

Find the First Spring to

Carry DW Size 9
works

CAESAR II Seminar 20 October, 2004

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 What’s the Spring Rate?

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

CAESAR II Seminar 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+kδ = 900 + 400(1.2)

CAESAR II Seminar 20 October, 2004

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 Check If This Spring
Can Carry the Load

Maximum
recommended
(The table load for a
shows only Size 9 spring
3/4 inch travel is 1200 lbf.
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+kδ = 900 + 200(1.2)
„ Inst. = 1140 lbf.
„ This works; max. load is 1200 lbf.
CAESAR II Seminar 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 δ 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.

CAESAR II Seminar 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. = kδ/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%.

CAESAR II Seminar 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

CAESAR II Seminar 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+kδ. 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.
CAESAR II Seminar 20 October, 2004

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 CAESAR II Hanger Data
Node Info.

Design Data

Defined Hanger
Data

CAESAR II Seminar 20 October, 2004

You can modify the support load

Set your own

Hot Load

Shift load from

existing supports

CAESAR II Seminar 20 October, 2004

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