Metal expansion joint desoldering? Don't hurry to scold the manufacturer, the problem may lie in this
Two days ago, I met a customer who said that the metal expansion joint weld of their pipeline was cracked, and asked me if the quality was not good. Alas, who is not in a hurry when it comes to such things-media leakage, production line shutdown, or safety accidents. But let's say, don't rush to throw the blame on the manufacturer. For the problem of desoldering, we must first look at where the welding is located. Is it the bellows and end pipe connection? Or a deflector weld? Or is it a tie rod mount? The causes of desoldering in different positions vary a hundred and eighty thousand miles.
The cracking of the circumferential weld between the bellows and the end pipe is most likely due to fatigue or stress concentration. If the weld of the guide tube is cracked, it is mostly because the guide tube is worn through by the medium or the guide tube is installed backwards, causing the airflow to directly scour the weld. Tie rod bearing desoldering? You have to check whether the tie rod nut is loosened during installation, and whether the limit is regarded as a fixed support. And guess what? Many so-called "quality accidents" were checked over and over again. Either the installation team was fooling around, or the selection didn't match the working conditions at all.
The three most common pits for desoldering
First, fatigue.The pipeline system expands and contracts thermally every day, and the expansion joint expands and contracts repeatedly. Once the stress concentration at the weld exceeds the allowable value, cracks will slowly grow out. Especially the large-diameter thick-walled expansion joint or high-temperature axial expansion joint, the more extreme the working condition, the more sensitive the fatigue life. For example, the temperature of high-temperature flue gas pipelines in the cement industry often fluctuates above 400℃. Every time the bellows expands and contracts, the welds accumulate damage.
Second, corrosion.When there are chloride ions and sulfide in the medium, the weld seam will be corroded preferentially, and the strength will drop linearly. The expansion joint behind the desulfurization flue gas baffle door has a bad corrosion environment. If the right material is not selected or the corrosion resistance treatment is not done, the weld will become slag in less than half a year.
Third, the installation error.When leaving the factory, the tie rod nut was not loosened, the guide tube was installed backwards, and the cold drawing amount of the pipeline was not enough... These operations caused additional stress to be fully pressed on the weld. Many customers complained that "it took three months to desolder". As a result, when they went to the scene, they found that the direction of the guide tube arrow pointed to the opposite direction of the medium flow, and the airflow directly hit the bellows. Tsk, is this pot manufacturer wronged?
What about that?
Let's see the working conditions first. If it is a pipeline at normal temperature and low pressure, such as a general-purpose corrugated expansion joint, the cracking of the weld joint is probably a problem of the welding quality itself-the current is excessive, the welding electrode is wrong, and the groove is not handled properly. You have to re-weld if you should cut it off and re-weld it. Don't feel distressed. However, if it is a high-temperature steam pipeline or a high-temperature flue gas pipeline in the cement industry, desoldering is often a wrong selection. At this time, we have to consider changing the high-temperature axial expansion joint or the external pressure single axial expansion joint, so that the bellows can avoid the high-temperature area. Another situation: the displacement of the pipeline is too large, and the general-purpose type can't bear it at all, so it is necessary to use the double hinge transverse expansion joint or the straight pipe pressure balance expansion joint to share the stress.
On-site emergency treatment is also particular. Small cracks can be repaired in non-critical parts, but they must be welded with the same material electrode, preheated and controlled cooling speed. If the bellows itself is cracked, don't repair welding-the wall thickness of the bellows is thin, and it will burn through as soon as it is repaired, so replace it directly. In addition, it should be noted that before repair welding, check whether the guide tube is in good condition. If the guide tube is also worn out, the medium will directly wash the inner wall of the bellows, and desoldering is only a prelude. When replacing, it is best to check the adjustment status of the expansion joint tie rod nut simultaneously to ensure that the pre-tension or pre-compression meets the design requirements. As for how to adjust the tie rod nut? After screwing the nut to the limit position, reverse back half a turn to one turn, so that the expansion energy saving can expand and contract freely. Look at the design drawings for specific values, don't screw them blindly by hand feel.
Prevention is really worry-free
The selection stage is not cheap. When providing information to the design institute, write clearly the temperature, pressure, displacement and corrosive medium. For example, the expansion joint behind the flue gas baffle door has a high sulfur content in the medium, so corrosion-resistant alloy or PTFE-lined scheme must be used. In the installation stage, be sure to look at the direction of the arrow on the expansion joint (flow direction mark), and one end of the guide tube faces the direction of the medium. During the operation stage, check the appearance of the weld regularly, tap and listen to the sound, and do penetration testing if conditions permit. Don't forget, the life of the expansion joint is directly tied to maintenance-you let it run over the limit, and it will strike sooner or later.
In the final analysis, 80% of the desoldering of metal expansion joints are not deliberately cut corners by manufacturers. Find the root cause, prescribe the right medicine, change the type, repair the welding, don't curse your mother as soon as you come up. Pipeline safety depends on the cooperation of three rings of selection, installation and maintenance, and one less ring will lead to moths.