8/19/2018 Piping Flexibility - Adequate flexibility for absorbing the Thermal Expansion of the pipe - Expansion Loop -

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Piping Flexibility - Thermal Expansion of pipe

Abstract
One major requirement in piping design is to provide adequate flexibility for absorbing the
thermal expansion of the pipe. However, due to lack of quick method of checking, pipings are
often laid-out to be either too stiff or too flexible. In either case, valuable time and material are
wasted.

This article presents some of the quick methods for checking piping flexibility. These methods
include visual, hand calculation, and micro computer approaches. They are all quick and easy
for designers to use in planning their layouts. Once the designers have taken care of the
flexibility problem, the iterative procedure between the stress engineers and the designers
become simpler. The project schedule can also be improved.

Piping flexibility
As the pipe temperature changes from the installation condition to the operating condition, it
expands or contracts. In the general term, both expansion and contraction are called thermal
expansion. When a pipe expands it has the potential of generating enormous force and stress in
the system. However, if the piping is flexible enough, the expansion can be absorbed without
creating undue force or stress. Providing the proper flexibility is one of the major tasks in the
design of piping system.
Piping is used to convey a certain amount of fluid from one point to another. It is obvious that
the shorter the pipe is used the lesser the capital expenditure is required. The long pipe may
also generate excessive pressure drop making it unsuitable for the proper operation. However,
the direct shortest layout generally is not acceptable for absorbing the thermal expansion.
Figure 1 shows what will happen when a straight pipe is directly connected from one point to
another. First, consider that only one end is connected and the other end is loose. The loose
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end will expands an amount equal to Δ = E L

However, since the other end is not loose, this expansion is to be absorbed by the piping. This
is equivalent to squeezing the pipe to move the end back an ~ distance. This amount of
squczzing creates a stress of the magnitude S = E (Δ/L) = E E

FIGURE 1

Where,
Δ = thermal expansion, in
L e = expansion rate, in/in
L = pipe length, in
s = axial stress, psi
F E = modulus of elasticity, psi
A = pipe cross section area, inZ
F = axial force, lbs

The force required to squeeze this amount is F = A S = A E E

Take a 6-inch standard wall carbon steel pipe for instance, an increase of temperature from 70F
ambient to 300F operating creates an axial stress of 42300 psi and an axial force of 236000 lbs
in the pipe. These are excessive even though the temperature is only 300F. It is clear that the
straight line direct layout is not acceptable to most of the piping, Flexibility has to be provided.

Expansion loop
Piping flexibility are provided in many different ways. The turns and offsets needed for running
the pipe from one point to another provides some flexibility by themself. This inherent flexibility
may or may not be sufficient depending on the individual cases.

Additional flexibility can be provided by adding expansion loops or expansion joints. In the
straight line example discussed above, the stress can be reduced by loops installed as shown
below. The idea is to provide some pipe perpendicular to the direction of expansion. In this way
when the pipe expands it bends the loop leg first before transmitting any load to the anchor. The
longer the loop leg the lesser the force will be created.

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The force created is inversely proportional to the cube of the loop length and the stress
generated is roughly Hard Piping inversely proportional to the square of the loop length. The
loop sometimes can take considerably more space and piping than what is available, or
economically justifiable. This is especially true for large high temperature low pressure pipings.
In this case the better method is to use expansion joint. Expansion joints are more sophisticated
than the pipe loops which are just extra lengths of the same piping. For this and other reasons,
engineers tend to favor piping loops over expansion joints.
However, expansion joints can be used effectively in many applications when they are properly
designed. One of the major requirements in the design of expansion joint system is to install
sufficient restraints for maintaining the stability. This article deals mainly the loop approach.

The Critical Path

In designing a plant, the piping is generally routed or laid-out by the piping designers then
checked by the stress engineers.
There is a marked difference in the layout done by the experienced and the inexperienced
designers. The experienced designers know the importance of the flexibility. However, they tend
to provide too much flexibility in contrast to the inexperienced ones who tend to provide little
flexibility. In either case, the resulL is an over priced project.

The layout done by an inexperienced designer is normally too stiff because the designer does
not know how or too timid to add loops or offsets. If a piping system is too stiff, the stress
engineer will almost certain to find it out.

The stress engineer will send the design, with recommended loops, back to the designer for
revision. At this time, the designer have made some more layouts in the same area making the
revision very difficulty. On the other hand, a layout done by an experienced designer often
contains the loops which are excessive or not needed.
The excessive loops are normally maintained without revision, becuase it is a common prctice
not to change something which works. The experienced one might have saved the manhour
needed for the revision. The cost of the excessive loops can be prohibitive.

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The cost of the project can be reduced substantially if ~he right amount of flexibility is built in the
piping at the initial layout stage. This requires some quick methods which can be used br the
designers to check the piping flexibility.

Reference(s): L.C. Peng, Peng Engineering, Houston, Texas

Quick Check on Piping Flexibility

Calculating
The first step in accommodating thermal movement is to compute the exact change in the linear
length of the piping system over the distance of interest, along with a suitable safety factor.
The actual expansion of 100-foot pipe lengths has been computed at different temperatures for
the most common piping materials (carbon steel, stainless steel and copper tubing) and are
shown in the table on the right. These values should not be applied to pipe of alternate materials
as they will vary. Expansion coefficients may vary 5% or more when obtained from different
sources and should be taken into account.

Thermal Expansion of Pipe

Inches per 100 ft.
mm per 100 meters

Temp. Carbon Stainless

Copper
F/C Steel Steel

-40 -0.288 -0.421 -0.461

-40 -24.0 -35.1 -38.4

-20 -0.145 -0.210 -0.230

-28 -12.1 -17.4 -19.0

0 0 0 0
-17 0 0 0

20 0.148 0.238 0.230

-6 12.5 19.7 19.0

32 0.230 0.366 0.369

0 19.0 30.5 30.8

40 0.300 0.451 0.461

4 24.9 37.7 38.4

60 0.448 0.684 0.691

15 37.4 57.1 57.7

80 0.580 0.896 0.922

26 48.2 74.8 76.8

100 0.753 1.134 1.152

37 62.7 94.5 96.1

120 0.910 1.366 1.382

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48 75.8 113.9 115.2

140 1.064 1.590 1.613

60 88.6 132.6 134.5

160 1.200 1.804 1.843

71 100.1 150.3 153.6

180 1.360 2.051 2.074

82 113.2 170.9 172.9

200 1.520 2.296 2.304

93 126.6 191.3 191.9

212 1.610 2.428 2.442

100 134.2 202.4 203.4

220 1.680 2.516 2.534

104 140.1 209.7 211.3

230 1.760 2.636 2.650

110 146.7 219.8 220.8

260 2.020 ... ...

126 168.3 ... ...

280 2.180 ... ...

137 181.8 ... ...

300 2.350 ... ...

148 195.9 ... ...

320 2.530 ... ...

160 211.0 ... ...

340 2.700 ... ...

171 225.1 ... ...

350 2.790 ... ...

176 232.6 ... ...

An example illustrating the use of the table above follows:

Given: 240-foot long carbon steel pipe

Maximum operating temperature = 220°F (104°C)
Minimum operating temperature = 40°F (4°C)
Temperature at time of installation = 80°F (26°C)

Calculation: From the table on the right, carbon steel pipe expansion

220°F (104°C) 1.680" per 100 ft. of carbon steel pipe

40°F (4°C) 0.300" per 100 ft. of carbon steel pipe

Difference: 1.380" per 100 ft. of carbon steel pipe for

temperatures 40°F to 220°F

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Therefore, 240-feet of pipe = 240/100 (1.380) = 3.312"

This 3.312" of movement should have a suitable safety factor applied,

which varies as determined by the system designer, to account for any
errors in predicting operating extremes, etc. These examples were
calculated without a safety factor applied.

To determine the positioning of the expansion joint at the time of

installation:

Installation to cold condition (80°F to 40°F)

80°F (26°C) 0.580" per 100 ft.

40°F (4°C) 0.300" per 100 ft.

Difference: 0.280" per 100 ft. or 0.672" per 240 ft.

Installation to hot condition (80°F to 220°F)

220°F(104°C) 1.680" per 100 ft.

80°F(26°C) 0.580" per 100 ft.

Difference: 1.100" per 100 ft. or 2.640" per 240 ft.

Therefore, the expansion joint is to be set up with at least the

capability to allow 0.672" of pipe contraction and at least 2.640" of
pipe expansion when installed at 80°F (26°C).

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Photograph - Kodak Australasia Pty Ltd,

Expansion Loop in the Low Pressure Steam Pipe,
Kodak Factory, Coburg, 1964

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© Werner Sölken 2008 - 2018. All rights reserved.

Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater. ALBERT EINSTEIN

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