Construction of expansion joints in steam pipelines

    The construction of steam pipeline expansion joints mainly consists of the following parts:

    1. Bellows: Bellows are the core components of steam expansion joints, made of stainless steel plates and shaped into flexible pipes with ripples. The function of corrugated pipes is to pull the expansion joint and absorb the thermal expansion and contraction deformation generated by the pipeline system, playing an important role in engineering applications.

    2. Protective sleeve: A protective sleeve is a component used to protect corrugated pipes from mechanical damage and corrosion, usually made of a layer of iron or rubber. Its function is to protect the corrugated pipe from the influence of the external environment.

    3. End cap: An end cap is a component that fixes a corrugated pipe in the shell, usually made of cast steel or forged steel. Its function is to fix the connection between the corrugated pipe and the shell, while bearing the pressure in the pipeline system and the impact force of the medium.

    4. Shell: The shell is the shell of a steam expansion joint, usually made of steel plate or pressure vessel material. During use, the shell needs to withstand the pressure of the pipeline system and the impact force of the medium.

    5. Coupling: A coupling is a plug-in connection component of a steam expansion joint, usually composed of a flange and a flange cover. Its function is to connect the steam expansion joint with the pipeline system, transfer the stress of the pipeline to the corrugated pipe, and thus achieve the effect of relieving pressure deformation.

    In addition, the expansion joint of the steam pipeline may also include some other components, such as flanges, gaskets, limiting devices, supports and hangers, etc. Among them, the flange is an important component connecting the expansion joint and the pipeline system, which bears the pressure and torque in the pipeline system; Gaskets are used to protect the sealing surface between flanges and corrugated pipes, preventing leakage; Limiting devices and supports are used to limit the movement range of the expansion joint and fix the position of the expansion joint.

    The structural design of steam pipeline expansion joints can be adjusted and optimized according to specific usage conditions and requirements to meet different pipeline system requirements.