flexider® - thermal products

Flexider®

I N D U S T R I A L

FLUID CATALYTIC CRACKING UNITEXPANSION JOINTS

I N D U

An IMCI Company

© COPYRIGHT 2014 FLEXIDER FCCU EXPANSION JOINTS

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Flexider®

I N D U S T R I A L

Company Background

Flexider is a world wide supplier of expansion joints for Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit (FCCU) applications. These expansion joints must withstand some of the most challenging conditions of any industry. Few expansion joint manufacturers have the resources to design and manufacture products to meet these demands.

Flexider has a long established record of manufacturing dating back to its founding in Turin Italy in 1921. Flexider has since expanded to other countries including a major manufacturing facility located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Industrial Manufacturing Company International is the parent company of Flexider. IMCI companies produce a wide variety of products for industry. The Flexider Industrial group, of which Flexider is a part, provides expansion joints and other related items to the aerospace, automotive, and industrial markets.

Flexider

115 Franklin RoadOak Ridge, TN 37830United States

(+1) 888-979-3539

(+1) 619-618-2445

(+1) 619-573-4412

TOLL-FREE

TEL

FAX

[email protected]

Contact Information

OAK RIDGE, TN

FRANCE

TURIN, ITALYWUXI, CHINA

© COPYRIGHT 2014 FLEXIDER FCCU EXPANSION JOINTS 3

CALL TOLL FREE: 1-888-979-FLEXFlexider®

I N D U S T R I A L

Customer Service

Flexider has a clear and overriding objective that our customers should be satisfied with our products, services, prices, and employees. This is embodied in the Flexider quality policy, which states:

“Flexider is committed to achieving total customer satisfaction through understanding our customer’s need and successfully delivering to our customers high quality and cost effective products, on time every time. This commitment to our customers is further realized by maintaining a practical but comprehensive Quality Management System and implementing its continuous improvement.”

Flexider Quality Assurance System has been certified to ISO 9001—Registration Number FM595125

Design and Engineering

Flexider specializes in the custom design and engineering of FCCU expansion joints. These items require a high degree of technical expertise. Our employees have an average of over 20 years experience in the expansion joint industry.

Metal expansion joints are all designed in accordance with Expansion Joint Manufacturers Association (EJMA) standards. When required, expansion joints are also designed to ASME Section VIII Division 1, Appendix 26 and B31.3 Appendix X. Fabric expansion joints used on low pressure ducting are designed in accordance with the Fluid Sealing Association (FSA) guidelines.

Solidworks and Solidworks Simulation (FEA) is used to provide accurate modeling and documentation of all products.


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Flexider®

I N D U S T R I A L

Overview

The FCC process is one of the most important conversion processes in a petroleum refinery. The process converts high molecular weight hydrocarbon fractions of petroleum crude to more valuable products such as gasoline and olefinic gases.

Due to the high temperatures throughout the FCC process, several expansion joints of various styles and configurations are required for the thermal growth of the high temperature piping.

The process diagram to the right and the table below show a typical FCC process and the type of expansion joint typically found in the high temperature piping between vessels or equipment.

Catalyst

Expansion Joint

(See the FCC Process Diagram for Location)Media

Typical Media

Temperature

(Deg. F)

Typical Design

Pressure

(PSIG)

Type of Expansion

Joint Metal Bellows

or Fabric Expansion

Joint

Round Piping

or Rectangular

Ducting

1 Spent Catalyst Standpipe Expansion Joint Catalyst 1,000 - 1,400 30 - 100 Metal Round

2 Regenerated Catalyst Standpipe Expansion Joint Catalyst 1,000 - 1,400 30 - 100 Metal Round

3 Recirculation Catalyst Standpipe Expansion Joint Catalyst 1,000 - 1,400 30 - 100 Metal Round

4 Cooled Catalyst Standpipe Expansion Joint Catalyst 1,000 - 1,400 30 - 100 Metal Round

5 Reactor to Main Column Expansion Joint Product 800 - 1,200 30 - 100 Metal Round

6 Reactor Riser Expansion Joint Catalyst 1,000 - 1,400 3 - 10 Metal Round

7 Regenerator Outlet Expansion Joint(s)Flue Gas with Catalyst Fines

1,000 - 1,400 30 - 100 Metal Round

8 3rd Stage Separator Expansion JointFlue Gas with Catalyst Fines

1,000 - 1,400 1 - 15 Metal Round

9 Catalyst Fines Expansion Joint Catalyst 1,000 - 1,400 30 - 100 Metal Round

10Expander Inlet or Orifice Chamber Inlet Expansion

Joint(s)Flue Gas 1,000 - 1,400 30 - 100 Metal Round

11Expander Outlet or Orifice Chamber Outlet Expansion

Joint(s)Flue Gas 1,000 - 1,400 5 Metal Round

12 Flue Gas Expansion Joints Flue Gas 300 - 750 < 5 Metal or Fabric Round or Rect

13 Main Air Blower Expansion Joint Air 650 0 - 100 Metal Round



I N D U S T R I A L

Energy Recovery

and Cleaning

Typical FCC Process

Single

Bellows or

Universal

Bellows

Pressure Thrust

Restraining

Hardware

Typical Piping

Material

Cold Wall

or Hot Wall

Configura-

tion

Abrasion

Resistant Re-

fractory Lining

in Hex Mesh

Insulating

Castable

Refractory

Two Ply

Testable

Bellows

Slotted

Hinges

Panto-

graphic

Linkages

Center

Spool

Gimbal

Limit

Rods

Floating

Rings

Universal Unrestrained Cr-Mo or T304H Hot Wall YesNot Com-

monYes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Universal Unrestrained Carbon Steel Cold Wall NC Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No



UniversalTie Rods, Hinge,

or GimbalCr-Mo Hot Wall No No Yes No No No Yes Yes

Single Unrestrained Cr-Mo Hot Wall Yes No No No No No No No

Single or Universal

Tie Rods, Hinge, or Gimbal

Carbon Steel or Stainless Steel

Hot Wall or Cold Wall

Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes

Single Unrestrained Stainless Steel Hot Wall Yes No No No No No No No

UniversalTie Rods, Hinge,

or GimbalCarbon Steel Cold Wall No Yes Yes No No No Yes No

Single or Universal


Stainless Steel Hot Wall No No Yes No No No Yes Yes

Single or Universal


Stainless Steel Hot Wall No No Yes No No No Yes Yes

Single UnrestrainedCarbon or Stain-

less SteelHot Wall No No Yes No No No Yes No

Single or Universal


Carbon Steel Hot Wall No No Yes No No No Yes No


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Flexider®

I N D U S T R I A L

Cold Wall Expansion Joints

Cold wall expansion joints utilize a high density internal vibracast refractory lining to reduce the design temperature of the shell/piping below the temperature of the internal media.

Although the temperature of the catalyst or flue gas may be as high as 1,400 °F, the internal refractory lining reduces the shell temperature below 650 °F. As a result, carbon steel is usually specified for the piping material of a cold wall expansion joint.

A F

B G

D I

E J

C H

Cold Wall Regenerated Catalyst Standpipe Expansion Joint

Cold Wall Hinged Expansion Joint for Flue Gas Service (Cross Section View)



I N D U S T R I A L

Design Features of a Cold Wall Expansion Joint

A. External Insulation: The external insulation elevates the bellows operating temperature above the internal dew point condensation temperature to minimize corrosion on the inner ply of the bellows. The external insulation can be temporarily removed during an outage to allow for inspection of the bellows element.

B. Two Ply Testable Bellows: See page 12 of this brochure for additional information on the two ply testable bellows.

C. Internal Flow Liner: The downstream end of the internal flow liner operates at the elevated temperature of the catalyst or flue gas, the internal flow liner is fabricated from T304H stainless steel. The upstream end of the liner contains a conical section to allow for the differential radial thermal growth between the “cold” upstream end of the liner and the “hot” downstream end of the liner.

D. Refractory: High density vibracast refractory insulates the inside of the piping to reduce heat transfer to the expansion joint shell.

E. Refractory Anchors: T304H stainless steel wavy vee anchors are used to anchor the high density vibracast refractory lining to the carbon steel shell.

F. Liner Gaps: Both the longitudinal and radial gaps at the open downstream end of the liner are sized for the design movements of the expansion joint. These gaps are minimized as much as possible to minimize the amount of catalyst that can enter the liner cavity.

G. Liner Seal: The liner seal minimizes the amount of catalyst entering the cavity between internal flow liner and the bellows. The liner seal also protects the structural integrity of the internal insulation.

H. Internal Insulation: The internal insulation reduces the bellows operating temperature below the creep temperature and prevents catalyst from packing in the cavity between the internal flow liner and the bellows.

I. Abrasion Lining: The cylindrical portion of the internal flow liner is packed with an abrasion resistant lining. It is reinforced by hex mesh (see below).

J. Hex Mesh: The inside of the internal flow liner contains a hex mesh lining. Hex mesh is used to anchor the abrasion lining and the refractory in the conical section of the flow liner.


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Flexider®

I N D U S T R I A L

Hot Wall Expansion Joints

Hot wall expansion joints are commonly found in the flue gas piping throughout an FCC unit.

Hot wall expansion joints between the Regenerator and the 3rd stage separator are usually lined with hex mesh and a abrasion resistant lining to protect the piping from the catalyst fines in the flue gas. Hot wall expansion joints on the inlet and outlet piping of an expander are unlined to eliminate loose pieces of the abrasion resistant lining from traveling through the expander.

For both lined and unlined hot wall expansion joints, external insulation is installed around the piping of the expansion joint requiring the expansion joint piping be designed for the full temperature of the flue gas.

Hot Wall Expansion Joint for Flue Gas

Hot Wall Single Hinged Expansion Joint

A B D E F G H IC



I N D U S T R I A L

Design Features of a Hot Wall Expansion Joint

A. Shear Spool: The shear spool transfers the pressure thrust load, and any external design loads, from the external hardware to the line pipe.

B. Internal Insulation: The internal insulation reduces the bellows operating temperature below the creep temperature of the bellows material.

C. External Insulation: The external insulation elevates the bellows operating temperature above the internal dew point condensation temperature to minimize corrosion on the inner ply of the bellows. The external insulation can be temporarily removed during an outage to allow for inspection of the bellows element.

D. Internal Telescoping Flow Liners: The internal telescoping flow liners are a full bore design that reduces the pressure drop of the flue gas flowing through the expansion joint. The internal telescoping flow liners create a cavity for the internal insulation which is critical in reducing the bellows operating temperature.

E. Liner Gaps: The opening between the internal telescoping flow liners is located at the center of the bellows to minimize the radial gap needed for the movements of the expansion joint.

F. Two Ply Testable Bellows: See page 12 of this brochure for additional information on the two ply testable bellows.

G. Expanded Pipe: The smooth transition of the expanded line pipe minimizes the thermal stresses caused by the differential radial thermal growth between the line pipe operating at the full temperature of the media and the insulated bellows element operating at a reduced temperature.

H. Floating Ring Retaining Hardware: Pins welded to the outside of the shear spool slide thru corresponding holes in plates welded to the floating rings. These support the dead weight of the floating ring while allowing the differential radial growth between the hotter shear spool and the cooler floating ring.

I. Floating Ring: The floating ring is designed to restrain the pressure thrust load and any external design loads. The floating ring concept allows for differential thermal growth between the line pipe operating at the full temperature of the media and the insulated floating ring.

Due to insulation installed between the line pipe and the inside of the floating ring, the floating ring operates at a much lower temperature than the line pipe. In many cases the floating ring may be carbon steel even though the flue gas temperature may be 1,450 deg. F, carbon steel is commonly used for the floating ring due to the lower design temperature of the floating ring. The floating ring is not welded directly to the line pipe.


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Flexider®

I N D U S T R I A L

Expansion Joint Hardware

Expansion joint hardware is used in expansion joint applications to control movements and loads. Reference the table on pages 4 and 5 for locations where these types of hardware are typically utilized.

Gimbal

A single bellows gimbal expansion joint is shown at the left. The gimbal hardware allows the expansion joint to absorb angular movement in all planes. Like the hinge, the gimbal hardware is designed to restrain pressure thrust and other external loads. Gimbal expansion joints are used in pairs or in combination with a hinge expansion joint.

Limit Rods

Limit rods are used on many expansion joints to prevent the bellows from moving beyond the designed limit. In these applications the limit rods are not designed to restrain the pressure thrust load. Limit rods are shown in many of the designs on these pages.

Hinge

A hinged single bellows expansion joint with limit rods is shown at the right. The hinge hardware allows the expansion joint to absorb angular movement in one plane. The hardware is designed to restrain pressure thrust and other external loads.

Single Gimbal Expansion Joint

Single Hinged Expansion Joint

Limit Rod

Gimbal



I N D U S T R I A L

Pantograph

Pantograph linkages equalize the axial movement each bellows of a universal assembly. The gimbal pantograph expansion joint below left absorbs lateral deflection in two planes. The center gimbal ring allows the expansion joint to offset in the opposite plane to the pantograph without the linkage binding.

Tie Rods

Tie rods are commonly utilized in universal expansion joint assemblies such as the elbow to elbow unit shown above. The expansion joint is capable of absorbing large lateral movements while the tie rods absorb the pressure thrust load.

Gimbal Pantograpic Universal

Expansion Joint

The pantograph linkage above allows

for axial movement while supporting

the dead weight of the refractory lined

centerspool and the catalyst.

Elbow to Elbow Tied Universal

Expansion Joint


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Flexider®

I N D U S T R I A L

Bellows Design

The expansion joint bellows reliability is critical for FCC units as they generally stay on line for long periods of time between shutdowns. For this reason, bellows design incorporates a redundant pressure retaining ply combined with a leak detection hardware.

Two-Ply Testable Bellows

Typically the bellows is composed of two plies of a material that is capable of handling the full operating pressure alone. The inner ply retains the pressure under normal circumstances. If the inner ply develops a leak, the outer ply then retains the pressure. If this happens the pressure between the plies is ported to a gauge that will then indicate a reading. This alerts personnel to take precautions to repair or replace a failing bellows as soon as possible.

Typical Two Ply Bellows with Monitoring Hardware

A B D E F G H IC

Bellows Features

A. Bellows Attachment WeldB. Resistance WeldC. BracketD. Test Port PipeE. Pressure GaugeF. Bleed-off ValveG. Bellows Outer PlyH. Wire Mesh StripI. Bellows Inner Ply



I N D U S T R I A L

Oversize Clamshell Bellows

In the event of a bellows leak through both bellows plies it may be possible to install an oversize clamshell bellows over the existing bellows while the unit is on line. The bellows is supplied in 180 degree segments that are field welded 2 places along the longitudinal seam during installation. The bellows has a weld end that allows attachment to existing end plates.

The illustration below shows how a typical oversized clamshell bellows is installed in halves over an existing bellows. For a universal typically both expansion joints are covered at the same time to equalize the pressure thrust and spring rates.

Bellows Features

A. Clamshell BellowsB. Leaking BellowsC. Circumferential Field Attachment WeldD. End Rings

A B DC

Universal Pantograph Standpipe Expansion Joint


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Flexider®

I N D U S T R I A L

Hot Wall Universal Gimbal Expansion Joint

Cold Wall Standpipe Expansion Joint with

Pantograph Hardware

Elbow to Elbow Tied Universal Expansion Joint

Hot Wall Single Gimbal Expansion Joint



I N D U S T R I A L

Tied Universal Expansion Joint

Hot Wall Single Hinged Expansion Joint

Fabric Expansion Joint

Metal Rectangular Expansion Joint

Flexider®

I N D U S T R I A L

An IMCI Company

FLUID CATALYTIC CRACKING UNITEXPANSION JOINTS

Flexider

115 Franklin RoadOak Ridge, TN 37830United States

(+1) 888-979-3539

(+1) 619-618-2445

(+1) 619-573-4412

TOLL-FREE

TEL

FAX

[email protected]

flexider® - thermal products

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