What Is a Flexible Pipe Joint?
A flexible pipe joint is a pipe fitting that offers flexibility, hence its name. They are employed to connect pipes that undergo expansion and contraction due to thermal changes, and to equipment susceptible to vibration, assisting in vibration absorption during operation.
Materials like stainless steel (SAE 304) are commonly used, but rubber versions also exist. Various fittings, including screwed and flanged joints, are available, with customizable lengths to suit different piping designs.
Applications of Flexible Pipe Joints
Flexible pipe joints are instrumental in isolating vibrations from equipment connected to piping. Without these joints, vibrations can transmit through the piping, potentially causing structural shaking. They are also pivotal in absorbing stress from the thermal expansion and contraction of steam pipes.
Additionally, flexible pipe joints facilitate the rerouting of existing pipes during new installations, offering greater flexibility in piping layout adjustments.
Principle of Flexible Pipe Joints
Typically made from materials like stainless steel (SAE 304), flexible pipe joints gain flexibility through designs such as bellows or tubular structures.
The tubular structure is fashioned by forming thin stainless steel into a corrugated, spring-like shape. Bellows are created by joining thin plates in a method similar to sewing cloth.
These metal joints, while less flexible than rubber, require adherence to a minimum bending radius to avoid damage. Proper length calculation is essential for each application to ensure effective vibration isolation, and thermal expansion absorption, and to prevent joint damage.