×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

chilled water pipework expansion/contraction

chilled water pipework expansion/contraction

chilled water pipework expansion/contraction

(OP)
can anybody please tell me if expansion bellows are required in copper chilled water lines? if yes, what type? eg...stainless steel, rubber, braided.

RE: chilled water pipework expansion/contraction

kateaid

You have not provided enough information to answer your question.  The layout (geometry) will determine the flexibility of the piping system (this geometry, and the pipe support design, will be shown on the drawings).  The system must be flexible enough to accommodate the expansion and contraction of the piping (the expansion and contraction are a function of the warmest and coolest temperatures that the system will experience) without resulting in stresses that exceed the maximum allowable stresses of the piping Code.  If there is adequate room to include expansion/contraction "loops" in the system, you will not need other expansion/contraction compensators (e.g., bellows expansion joints). None of the needed information was included in your question.

This is the reason why a competent mechanical engineer should be involved in the design of the piping system.

Regards, John

RE: chilled water pipework expansion/contraction

(OP)
THANKS FOR YOUR INPUT. I HAVE BEEN ASKED TO SORT A PROBLEM IN AN EXISTING INSTALLATION IN A 6 STOREY HOTEL. EVERY FLOOR HAS A PAIR OF 1 1/2" LPHW AND CHILLED WATER PIPES COMING FROM A RISER AT ONE END OF EACH CORRIDOR, RUNNING APPROXIMATELY 25M IN THE CIELING. 3/4" BRANCHES INTO EACH ROOM. CLIPPED TO THE CONCRETE SLAB OVERHEAD. ONE OF THE LPHW LINES HAS BUCKLED BECAUSE OF LACK OF EXPANSION BELLOWS. I AM NOW IN THE PROCESS OF FITTING THESE BELLOWS IN THE LPHW LINES BUT HAVE ALSO BEEN ASKED TO FIT SAME INTO THE CHILLED LINES. AS THE WORK IS EXTREMELY AWKWARD AND ENTAILS SHUTTING DOWN HOTEL FLOORS I AM WONDERING IF THEY ARE NESSESSARY IN THE CHILLED LINES. THE CHILLED PIPEWORK IS CLIPPED USING PHENOLIC BLOCKS AND THEREFORE SHOULD BE ABLE TO MOVE SOME AMOUNT. MY POSITION IN THE COMPANY IS MECHANICAL FOREMAN.

RE: chilled water pipework expansion/contraction

Please don't shout, ALL CAPS is really hard to read (I quit trying after the second line)

David

RE: chilled water pipework expansion/contraction

kateaid

It is very likely that in this service (the ambient temperature to operating temperature (delta T) and the expansion/contraction is modest) that you can include some "offsets" in the piping that will accommodate the expansion/contraction without the use of bellows expansion joints.  Do not "clip" all the piping rigidly to the structure - include a few 90 degrees elbows and provide enough freedom for the piping to move.  The elbows will provide flexibility.  Use some "rigid rod hangers" that clamp to the pipe but allow the pipe to swing a little with the expansion/contraction.

Quite honestly, it is very rare to see bellows type expansion joints used in "facilities piping".  You may want to look up the book on facilities piping authored by Michael Frankel.  If you were working in North America, I would advise you to look at the ASME B31.9 Piping Code.

Have a look at the publications available for download at this web site as they may give you a few ideas:

http://www.anvilintl.com/literature/index.php?lit=br

Good luck, John

RE: chilled water pipework expansion/contraction

(OP)
John,
      Thanks for the fantastic advice. By the way, I am in Limerick in the Republic of Ireland.
         Regards,
                Aidan.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources