As a vendor of expansion joints (Flexicraft), we run into this a lot. Normally when expansion joints are used on the turbine, they are a special "pressure balanced" type that minimize the nozzle loads. Otherwise, adding an expansion joint can actually bring the loads up, due to the "thrust...
There are ways to handle the thrust load with pumps:
- for a braided metal flexible connector, the braid takes the load, so you don't have to worry about it.
- for rubber joints, you can add "control units", which flange into place during installation, and have rods to take the load.
- with...
Yow. Such strong feelings about not using exp joints. Funny line, though, penniper.
The first point is the question was really about flexible pump connectors. Expansion joints are a subset of that group. That is, those flexible connectors that compress. Braided metal hose type flexible...
Metal, rubber, PTFE, and other expansion joints are my business. See www.flexicraft.com. I could go on for hours on this topic, having worked with these issues for many years.
On the damage: if this is a concern, specify a cover for the metal joints. A carbon steel cover protects the...
Note that the bend radius and the stiffness are directly related.
We have a braided corrugated metal hose that is meant for low pressures like you have, with a correspondingly lower STATIC bend radius of 10.5" for 8" diameter. Rated for 15psi at ambient temperature. ("Static" bend is for just...
See http://www.flexicraft.com/getDBFile.php?fileID=395 for installation of bellow expansion joints themselves, and http://www.flexicraft.com/family.php?id=2&type=other for pipe guide spacing.
You can use an externally pressurized joint, shown at http://www.flexicraft.com/p2.asp?catid=1&subcatid=382.
These can be buried, and take pretty long axial compressions of up to 8".
