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SpringsupportUsedinPiping

SpringSupportUsedinPiping
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Tableofcontents:

SpringSupport

1.WhytouseaSpringSupport?
Anylineoperatingathightemperaturemovesupwards/downwards
(dependingonthepipeconfiguration)duetothermalexpansion.Any
rigidsupportprovidedonsuchalinetendstoliftpipeup/downand
henceremaininactiveduringoperatingconditions.Insuchacasea
flexiblesupport(springs)isprovidedwhichiscapableoftakingthe
loadinalltheoperatingandcoldconditions.
Thespringsupportsprovidescontinuoussupportduringexpansionor
contractionofthepipe.
Thespringsupportbasicallyemploysaspringelement,whichcanget
compressedorstretchoutdependinguponthethermalmovementof
pipeandthecorrespondingloads.

1.WhytouseaSpringSupport
2.TypesofSpringSupports
3.Terminology
4.Variableeffortspring
5.TypesofVES/CES
6.SelectionofVariableeffortspring
7.Constanteffortspring
8.SelectionofConstanteffortspring
9.Generalnotesandguidelines
10.Pointstoremember
11.Offshoreapplications
12.Springvendors

2.TypesofSpringSupports
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Dependingontheloadstobeaccommodatedandthemagnitude&directionofthethermaldisplacementto
besupported,springsupportsarebroadlyclassifiedas:
Variableeffortsprings
Constanteffortsprings
SomeofthecommonterminologyassociatedwiththeselectionandprocurementofanySpringsarelisted
below:
ColdLoad
HotLoad
SpringRate
SpringTravel
LoadVariationorVariation
PrecompressionLength
3.Terminology

ColdLoad:Thisreferstotheloadonthespringhangerwhenthesystemisinstandbyornonoperating
condition.
HotLoad:Thisreferstotheactualloadonthespringhangerduringoperatingconditions
SpringRate/Stifness:Thisreferstothespringrate,forceperunitlengthinN/mm,kg/mm,etc.
determinedfromflexibilityanalysis.
SpringTravel:(Installedtooperating):Thisreferstothemaximumverticalmovementofthespringdue
topipingloadsatoperatingconditionsdeterminedfromflexibilityanalysis.
LoadVariationorVariation:Thisreferstotheallowedvariationsbetweenthehotloadandcoldloads.

PreCompressionLength:Itistheinitialcompressingofthespringforsustainedload.
InstallationHeight=loadedlengthPrecompressionlength

4.Variableeffortspring

VESbasicallyconsistofaspringwhichcangetcompressedorexpandedaccordingtothermal
movementofthepipe.However,thismovementcausesincreaseordecreaseinsupportingforce
dependingonitsstiffness&thisdifferentialloadistransferredtothepipe
Thisloadislessthanthatwouldbewiththerigidsupport.
InVESloadvariationismaintainedgenerallywithin25%.
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InVEStheloadsincreaseswithpipemovement.
5.TypesofVES/CES

Hangertype:Inhangertypespringsupport,thepipeishungfromthesecondarysupportusinghangertype
spring,asshown.Clevis,Hangerrod,turnbuckle,pipeclamp,etc.aresomeotherattachmentsassociated
withsuchasupport.

Bottomsupporttype:Inbottomsupportspring,thepipeisrestingonthetopofthespringloadplate,as
shown.ThistypeofspringsupportisalsoknownasCANTypeorFTypespring.
Hangertypeorbottomsupporttypeisselectedbasedonpipelayoutandthespaceavailabilityfor
mounting.

6.SelectionofVariableeffortspring

1.Determinetherequiredeffort&pipemovement(upordown)frominstalledtooperatingcondition.
2.Selectthesmallestspringsizefromthevendorcataloguewhichhastheoperatingloadwithintheworking
travel.
3.Ensurethespringselectedcanaccommodatethepresettooperatingtravelwithintheworkingrange.
Thisisdonebymovingup&downthechartfromtheoperatingloadbytheamountoftravel.
4.Ifthespringselectedcannotaccommodatethemovementtryalargerspringsizeorthenexttravel
range.
5.Checkthevariationinsupportingeffortfortheselectedspring.

6.IfthisexceedstheallowablevariationthenchoosethenexttravelrangeandgobacktoStep3above.
7.Ifthevariationislessthanhalfoftheallowablethenasmallertravelrangemaybeacceptable.Choosea
smallertravelrangeandgobacktostep4.
8.Ifthevariationexceedstheallowableselectionthenaconstanteffortsupportisrequiredorpossibilityof
routingchangestobestudied.
Example:
Selectavariablespringforthefollowingconditions:
Hotload=307lbs,movement=up,variability=20%maximum
1.Calculatespringrate.
Springrate=hotloadxvariability/movement

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=0.20*307/0.5=122.8lbsperinch
2.Findthespringsizecolumnonthesizeandseriesselectionchartwherethehotloadis307lbs.
(Asize5seriesfig.82fitsthecriteria)
3.Calculatethecoldload.

Coldload=307+(63x0.50)=339lbs.
4.Nowchecktoseeifthehotloadandcoldloadfitintheworkingrangeofsize5seriesfig.82.Ifso,you
haveselectedtheproperunit.
7.Constanteffortspring

Wheneverloadvariationexceeds25%orexceedsthespecifiedmaximumloadvariationpercentageina
variablehanger,thenaConstantEffortSpringisselected.
InCEStheloadremainsconstantwhenthepipemovesfromitscoldpositiontohotposition.Thus
irrespectiveoftraveltheloadremainsconstantovercompleterangeofmovement.
Thepipeissupportedbyadroprodconnectedviaturnbuckletotheendoftheleverarm.
ThespringcoilappliesaforcetothetrunnionarmoftheleverwhichtendstopulltheleverarmUP
againsttheloadofthepipe.
Thegeometryoftheleverarmprovidesabalancebtwthepipeload&springforce.Thepipemay
thereforemoveduetothermalexpansionwhilebeingsupportedwithanominallyconstantforcethrough
thistravelrange.

8.SelectionofConstanteffortspring

Determinetheloadtobesupportedbyhangeraswellastheactualtravel,ie.Theactualvertical
movementofthepipeatthepointofhangerlocation,referloadtraveltable.
Thetotaltravelforconstantsupportsshouldbeequaltoactualtravelplus1or20%whicheveris
greater.
Afterdeterminingthesize,considerationofavailableroomforsuspendingthepipeandhangerwill
indicatewhetheraverticalorhorizontalhangerisdesirable.
Afterhangersize&designaredetermined,thetypeofconstantsupporttobeuseddependsuponthe
physicalinstallationrequiredbythesuspensionproblem.
Example:
Totaltravel=4and2750lbs
Hangersizewouldbe34
9.Generalnotes&guidelines

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Anyreadjustmentofspringelementshallbecarriedoutonlywhenthelineisfullwiththefluidorits
equivalentindensitytobalancetheweightofpipingandthepresetloadofspring.
Theadjustmentofhangertypespringelementisdonebyrotatingturnbuckleoradjustmentnutsprovided
inthehangerrod.
Duringhydraulictesting,flushingorchemicalcleaningofthepipeline,thespringmustbekeptunder
lockedconditionorprotectedagainstoverloadingduetoweightoftesting/flushingfluid,byproviding
temporary.
Afterreadjustmentitisimportanttocheckwhethersufficientrangeisavailableonscaleforrequired
movementofthepipeduringoperation.
10.Pointstoremember

Designspringbasedontheinstallationload(operatingload).
Compactnessoftheunits.Installationheightsdesignedtoaminimum.
Duringoccasionalcasethepipemaymovemorethantheoperatingmovement.Insuchacase,ifwe
choosemaximumdeflectionrangethespringcannotgetfurthermovementandthusthespringfails.To
overcomesuchaproblemprovidesCushionRangemeansevenifinoccasionalcasesthespringmay
getcompressed,sochoosealwaysMIDRANGE.
Initialdesignitselfthespringcannotbedesignedforoccasionalloads(e.g.Seismic,windetc.)&
movementthenitmaybeanoverdesign.
Forhangingspringsupportthelateralmovements(rodswing)shouldnotexceed4degree.
Forbottomtypesupports,wherehorizontalmovementofmorethanisenvisaged,Tefloncoveredload
padsshouldbespecified.
Alwaysmentionthehydrotestload,whileorderingaspring.Thiswillhelpthespringvendorindesigning
thespringlockingarrangement.
Standardinventoryfinish:Hotdipgalvanized.
Coilscomewithaprotectivecoating:
Protectsfromawiderangeofcorrosives.
Doesnotaffecttheflexlifeofthespring.

Supportsarefittedwithnameplatesmarkedwiththeinstallationandoperatingload,supportreference
mark,typeanduniqueserialnumber.
11.Offshoreapplications

Flowarmlines(Xmastreetotheproduction/testmanifolds).
Compressors.
WHRU(WasteHeatRecoveryUnits).
12.Springvendors

Sarathi
CarpenterandpatersonLtd
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Lisega
Anvil
Bergenpower
PipesupportLtd

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