Slide Bearing Pipe Support for Thermal Movement and Vibration Restraint
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial piping systems face challenges in accommodating both thermal expansion and contraction while resisting vibrational loads, as existing supports either allow excessive vibration due to inadequate stiffness or restrict thermal movement, leading to high stress and potential failure.
Innovation Solution
A pipe support system featuring upper and lower slide bearing plates with central slide bearing plates, connected via threaded bolts, allowing predictable frictional forces to resist vibrational loads while enabling thermal expansion and contraction by sliding within oblong slots and low-friction contact layers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If static pipe supports are used to restrain the pipe from expanding or contracting, then the pipe is restrained from thermal movement, but very high pipe stresses occur and can result in pipe failure
Solution Approach 1:
The pipe support transitions from a static restraint system to a dynamic system with three slide bearing plates that allow controlled movement. The upper, central, and lower slide bearing plates enable the pipe to expand and contract thermally while maintaining support, eliminating excessive stress buildup through predictable frictional forces rather than rigid restraint.
2Ease of operation
If support devices are designed to minimize restraint stiffness to allow thermal movement, then the pipe can expand and contract freely, but the support cannot adequately resist vibratory loads
Solution Approach 1:
The support system changes the friction parameter through its three-plate slide bearing design. The predictable frictional forces between the upper, central, and lower slide bearing plates provide just enough resistance to control harmful vibrations while allowing thermal expansion and contraction, achieving a balance between movement freedom and vibration control.
3Ease of operation
If a single planar slide bearing is used to accommodate pipe migration, then the pipe can move axially and laterally, but the friction can be overcome by vibratory loads leading to uncontrolled vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The single planar slide bearing is segmented into three separate slide bearing plates (upper, central, and lower). This segmentation increases the total frictional resistance through multiple contact surfaces while maintaining the ability to accommodate thermal movement, preventing vibration by ensuring the combined friction exceeds typical vibratory load magnitudes.
4Reliability
If pipe supports maximize restraint stiffness to resist vibratory movement, then vibration is controlled, but thermal expansion and contraction are restricted causing high stress
Solution Approach 1:
The three slide bearing plates act as intermediary elements between the pipe and the support structure. These plates provide a controlled friction interface that mediates between thermal expansion forces and vibration control requirements, allowing the pipe to move thermally while resisting harmful vibrations through predictable frictional forces.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively manages both thermal and vibrational loads by maintaining pipe stability, preventing fatigue and failure through controlled movement and predictable frictional forces, suitable for various pipe sizes and loads.
Implementation Method 1
The friction between the support and the undergirding structure can easily be overcome by thermal loads, allowing the pipe to freely expand and contract. These supports, while accomplishing the aims of thermal growth designers, do not provide adequate stiffness and restraint to control vibration for pipes in vibratory service.
Data Source
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AI summary
A pipe support system (40, 70) is disclosed for protecting industrial piping (15, 115) from fatigue and failure caused by vibrational and thermal forces. The slide bearing pipe support system (40, 70) can accommodate thermal expansion and/or contraction of the pipe (15, 115) under high magnitude thermal loads while resisting movement of the pipe (15, 115) under low magnitude vibratory loads. The frictional force required to resist vibratory movement but to permit thermal movement is dependent upon the torque load provided by bolts (45, 87) connecting upper, lower and central slide bearing structures. The torque on these bolts (45, 87) is specified to generate a specific frictional force between contact layers of the slide bearing structures, which can resist vibration of the piping (15, 115) under a vibratory load but permit lateral/transverse movement of the pipe (15, 115) under a thermal load. The pipe support system (40, 70) is useful for a variety of vibrational and thermal loads, and with a variety of industrial pipe sizes.