Bellows Manufacturing and Research, Inc. is proud of its knowledge base and experience that includes sound piping engineering knowledge, specialist skills in pipe stress analysis and piping design and layout. BMR is adept at pipe support selection in conjunction with the appropriate expansion joints. BMR’s pipe stress analysis experience is being utilized in such industries as aerospace, oil and gas, cryogenics including LNG, air separation, chemical, pharmaceuticals, alumina and other mineral industries. Delivering support to customers for both piping systems and expansion joints is a challenge undertaken with great care and pride. Customer requirements provide the direction necessary to ensure proper design support systems are in place for protecting the expansion joints and verifying precise functionality per design specifications.
Step by step instruction is provided to ensure proper and correct expansion joint installation. Training is imperative for the construction team on site and the plant operators in order to explain how each joint works. Training also serves to define the purpose and the dangers of not complying with the design intent of each expansion joint.
BMR’s extensive experience with high and low-temperature piping system designs provides the perspective to appreciate what each design criteria offers and serves as a benchmark for the challenges we face in conjunction with customers. A good piping design should have the end user who operates the plant for the duration of its design life in mind. Working towards proper egress to equipment such as valves and instrumentation should always be considered in good piping layouts. That always starts with the piping engineer. Designs developed by BMR are applicable to the process conditions, resolve high stresses and nozzle loads, economically.
Addressing equipment nozzle loading is normally one of the most time-consuming parts of pipe stress analysis. Whether the design criteria is for pumps per API-610, turbines to NEMA SM23 or for vessels per the manufacturer requirements or WRC-107, protecting the equipment from excessive loads is of paramount importance. BMR employs intelligent piping layouts and pipe support selection and optimization. When these alone do not meet the required guidelines; expansion joints are utilized to resolve loading issues.
Pressure thrust is a crucial consideration for piping design as it applies to bellows or expansion joint selection and due focus and acknowledgment is always a requirement. Pressure thrust must be transferred either back into the pipe through the hardware of an expansion joint or into nearby supports or anchors. It should never be emphasized to allow the pressure thrust to load rotating equipment or vessels.
BMR’s pipe stress analysis mostly uses ASME standards from B31.1, B31.3 to B31.8 and, where relevant, Australian Standard AS1210 and European Pressure Directive (PED) guidelines apply. The service applications designed include:
- Steam
- Refrigerant
- Liquid Oxygen (LOX)
- Liquid Nitrogen
- Liquid Argon
- Liquid Natural Gas (LNG)
- Hydrocarbons
- Fuel Systems
- Mineral Slurries
- Alkali’s and Acids
- Water
- And more …
Depending on the industry an array of special metals and alloys including high-end stainless steels, Hastelloy, Inconel, and Monel are used. Employed as well are conventional materials where applicable.