Technical Area

Present invention is related with a circular lens metal expansion joint, which is produced as a single piece, which provides high measurement accuracy, and has a long service life flexibly because it is free of environmental welding.

Background of the Invention

Flexible metal bellows parts that remove the dimensional heat change caused by the expansion or contraction due to the heat in the pipelines carrying hot and cold fluids or exposed to high environmental temperature changes are called expansion joints. If no measures are taken against dimensional changes in the pipelines, the intense pressure on the installation will be reflected on the connection points and devices in the system. The most suitable and cost-effective solution for eliminating these and similar problems is metal bellows expansion joints, which are designed with the ability to eliminate different types of movements without the need for any maintenance.

Stainless steel sheet plates, which are formed into pipes by longitudinal welding, are formed into bellows by hydraulic or mechanical forming method. The bellows parts of the expansion joints are made using stainless steel materials from 0.1 mm to 3 mm in accordance with EJMA standards. However, it is possible in more special applications in non-standard and differently shaped bellows. Before a expansion joint comes to the design stage, the design conditions must be determined correctly. The diameter of the pipeline where the expansion joint will be mounted, the type of fluid passing through it, the maximum pressure value that may occur in the pipeline, the maximum temperature that may occur in the pipeline, the amount of expansion that may occur in the pipeline are the most important design conditions of the expansion joint.

The main element of the expansion parts (expansion joint) are metal bellows. Its shape works like a spring because it is made of single or multi-layer stainless steel material.

In order for the expansion joints to be used in systems where they are needed, they must be designed in accordance with the operating conditions (temperature, pressure, amount of movement, fluid properties, etc.).

Size (pipe diameter): The diameter of the pipeline where the expansion joints will be used determines the diameter of the expansion joints. The diameters of the expansion joints determine the ability to absorb the pressure and temperature values that it can withstand in different forms (axial, lateral, angular).

Fluid: Before choosing the expansion joint, the fluid (liquid) that will come into contact with the metal bellows must be specified in advance. Special materials and designs are required for operating conditions such as wear, corrosion and density. And during the use of the expansion joints, the materials used in the cleaning of the pipe systems must be compatible with the bellows material.

Pressure: The most important factor in the design of expansion parts (expansion joint) is the determination of the maximum and minimum pressure values.

Heat: While determining the operating temperatures of the expansion joints (expansion parts), all possible heat sources in the places where the expansion joints will be connected and their temperature values should be examined. Movement Amount: Movements caused by temperature changes that the expansion joints will face should be determined.

The expansion joints, which are determined according to the above criteria, are designed to take movements in three different ways. These movements, which determine the design and type of expansion joints, can be classified as axial, lateral and angular.

Axial Movements: These are movements that occur parallel to the bellows axis line and occur as expansion (opening) or contraction.

Lateral Movements: These are the movements that occur vertically in the form of deviation or sliding to the axis of the bellows element of the expansion joints. These movements can also occur on more than one axes.

Angular movements: These are the movements caused by the bending of the expansion joints along their axis.

Currently, environmental welded lens metal expansion joints, which are produced by welding two separate parts obtained by the spinning method, to each other with electric arc welding, are used. But the disadvantages of these expansion joints are as follows;

The expansion joints, which are produced by circular laser cutting, external plastering, internal plastering, weld preparation, environmental electric arc welding processes, have to go through the long production processes specified. In addition, the plastering processes are carried out by the operator and handwork is at the forefront in this process. For this reason, measurement precision cannot be achieved during production, and the desired dimensions cannot be obtained exactly. Accordingly, very high welded manufacturing costs occur when considered in terms of labor, raw material (gas, wire) and electricity consumption.

In addition, very high material wastage occurs in the circular laser cutting process in the production of these expansion joints. After the application of environmental electric arc welding (welding the environment as 360 °), NDT processes that require the use of radioactive or chemical materials that are harmful to health and create high costs are required to control the tightness of the process. Another disadvantage is that the area where the peripheral electric arc welding is applied hardens and loses its flexibility. Accordingly, the cycle life of the expansion joint decreases. Due to all these disadvantages, circular lens metal expansion joint produced without environmental welding is produced.

The invention is a circular lens metal expansion joint, which is produced without environmental resources, in which the known state of the art is overcome, the disadvantages are eliminated, and additionally contains extra advantages.

As the benefits of the invention; Its production is completed with flat laser cutting, press brake bending, profile bending, and cross-section electric arc welding processes, and it can be manufactured in a short time compared to the expansion joints currently produced. In addition, thanks to the bending performed with the help of molds in the press brake and profile bending machines, high measurement precision is ensured during production.

As constituting another benefit, environmental welding labor is completely eliminated, and serious savings are achieved in all welded manufacturing costs such as labor, raw material and electricity consumption with only the application of section welding. In addition, material waste during flat laser cutting is much less than in circular laser cutting. In addition, the environmental welding labor is completely eliminated, and the high-cost NDT processes that require the use of radioactive or chemical materials harmful to health are significantly reduced with only the application of cross-section welding.

The most important benefit is that the expansion joint, which is manufactured with section weld instead of circumferential welding, is more flexible at critical points that dampen the movement, as it is not exposed to weld-related hardening, thus extending its cycle life.

The aim of the invention is to produce faster due to the simplicity of the production method and to use it for a long time because it is more flexible.

Another advantage aimed with the invention is to reduce the production cost.

The invention in question has been developed as a solution to existing problems.

In the invention, the sheet metal to be used in the expansion joint is laser cut in the desired dimensions, and a profile is obtained by forming a certain radius with the bending of the press brake. Then, this profile is bent to its sword with a twisting machine and a circular form is obtained. Finally, welding is made from the point where the circular form meets and welding is applied at only one point. Thus, instead of producing two separate parts by welding to each other with electric arc welding, a metal bellows (expansion joint) with radius is obtained as a single piece.

As optional accessory features to the invention, connection flange, limit rod, joint, universal joint and guide features that can be placed on the outside can be added. In addition, optional internal insulation feature can be added to the inside. The structural and characteristic features of the invention and all its advantages will be understood more clearly by means of figures given below and the detailed description with reference to these figures, and therefore this evaluation should be made by taking these figures and detailed explanation into consideration.

Figures to Help Explain the Invention

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings so that the features of the invention will be more clearly understood. However, it is not intended to limit the invention to these particular embodiments. On the contrary, it is also intended to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents that may be included within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It is to be understood that the details shown are for illustrative purposes only and are intended to provide the most useful and easy to understand description of both the embodiment of the methods and the conventions and conceptual features of the invention. In these drawings, below particulars are seen;

Figure 1a: Perspective view of the sheet metal sliced by laser cutting

Figure 1b: Perspective view of the profile of the sheet metal sliced by laser cutting, which is manufactured with a radial bending with a press brake

Figure 1c: Perspective view of circular lens metal expansion joint produced without peripheral welding

Figure 2a: Side view of circular lens metal expansion joint produced without peripheral welding

Figure 2b: Top view of circular lens metal expansion joint produced without peripheral welding References helping for explaining the invention

1. Sheet

2. Welding connection place

Explanation of the Invention

In this detailed explanation, the circular lens metal expansion joint configuration, which is the subject of the invention, produced without environmental source, is explained only for a better understanding of the subject and without any limiting effect.

Said invention is comprised of;

• Sheet metal (1 ), which is sliced with laser cutting in desired dimensions in accordance with the standards,

• Welding joint (2) parts that provide the joining of two opposing parts in order to complete the circular shape formed by the bending machine of the profile formed by giving radius with press brake bending.

The invention is formed as a monolith; sheet (1) and welding joint (2). Sheet (1 ) is used in desired dimensions in accordance with the standards with laser cutting.

A profile is obtained by forming a certain radius with sheet metal (1 ), which is formed by laser cutting, and bending of the press brake. Then, this profile is bent to its sword with a twisting machine and a circular form is obtained. Finally, welding is performed at the weld joint (2), which is the junction of the circular form, and welding is applied at only one point. Thus, instead of producing two separate parts by welding to each other with electric arc welding, a metal bellows (expansion joint) with radius is obtained as a single piece. As optional accessory features to the invention; Connection flange, limit rod, joint, universal joint and guide features that can be placed on the outside can be added. In addition, optional internal insulation feature can be added to the inside.

The technical features mentioned in each claim are followed by a reference number, these reference numbers are used only to facilitate understanding of the claims, so they should not be considered to limit the scope of any of the elements indicated by these reference numbers for illustrative purposes. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can demonstrate the innovation revealed in the invention by using similar embodiments and/or can apply this embodiment to other similar purposes used in the related art. Therefore, it is obvious that such structuring will lack the criteria of innovation, and especially of overcoming the state of the art.