Slide Bearing Pipe Support for Thermal Expansion and Vibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial piping systems face challenges in managing both thermal expansion and vibrational loads, as current supports either fail to restrain vibrations or restrict thermal movement, leading to excessive stress and potential failure.
Innovation Solution
A pipe support system utilizing a combination of upper, central, and lower slide bearing plates connected by threaded bolts, which allows for sliding frictional contact to resist vibrational loads while accommodating thermal expansion through torque-generated frictional forces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single planar slide bearing is used to allow thermal expansion, then the pipe can freely expand and contract, but the support provides inadequate stiffness to control vibration
Solution Approach 1:
The support device is divided into multiple functional components: a pipe shoe for mounting to the pipe, a slide bearing assembly with multiple bearing surfaces, and an adjustable restraint mechanism. This segmentation allows each component to address specific requirements - the slide bearing surfaces accommodate thermal movement while the adjustable restraint provides vibration control through controlled friction.
Solution Approach 2:
The support device uses adjustable restraint elements (such as springs or threaded adjusters) that allow the friction force to be tuned to a specific value. By changing the normal force applied by the restraint mechanism, the friction force can be optimized to resist vibration while still permitting thermal expansion, resolving the contradiction between vibration control and thermal accommodation.
2Reliability
If static pipe supports are used to restrain the pipe from expanding or contracting, then the pipe is restrained, but very high pipe stresses and failure can result
Solution Approach 1:
The support device transitions from a static restraint to a dynamic system that adapts to different load conditions. The slide bearing allows movement when thermal forces exceed the friction restraint, while the adjustable friction mechanism provides stable restraint against smaller vibratory forces. This dynamic behavior prevents excessive stress buildup while maintaining necessary restraint.
3Adaptability or versatility
If support devices that minimize restraint stiffness are used to facilitate pipe movement, then thermal expansion is accommodated, but vibratory movement cannot be resisted
Solution Approach 1:
The slide bearing assembly acts as an intermediary between the pipe and the support structure. It provides a controlled friction interface that mediates between the need for movement freedom and vibration resistance. The friction force serves as a mediator that allows smooth thermal expansion while resisting harmful vibratory movements through adjustable friction control.
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 resists vibrational movements while allowing for thermal expansion, reducing the risk of fatigue and failure in industrial piping systems by controlling stress through adjustable frictional forces.
Implementation Method 1
the upper slide bearing plate, the central slide bearing plate and the lower slide bearing plate are brought into sliding, frictional contact with one another upon application of a torque force by the threaded bolts
Implementation Method 2
application of a torque force by the threaded bolts
Implementation Method 3
movement of the central slide bearing plate with respect to the upper and lower slide bearing plates occurs when a force applied to the piping overcomes a frictional force between the upper slide bearing plate, the central slide bearing plate and the lower slide bearing plate, and wherein said frictional force resists movement of the piping under a vibratory load
Implementation Method 4
Varying high and low temperatures induce the piping to expand or contract in length, respectively, from its ambient state
Data Source
AI summary
A pipe support system is disclosed for protecting industrial piping from fatigue and failure caused by vibrational and thermal forces. The inventive slide bearing pipe support system can accommodate thermal expansion and/or contraction of the pipe under high magnitude thermal loads while resisting movement of the pipe 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 connecting upper, lower and central slide bearing plates. The torque on these bolts is specified to generate a specific frictional force between the contact layers of the slide bearing plates, which can resist vibration of the piping under a vibratory load but permit lateral/transverse movement of the pipe under a thermal load. The inventive support system is useful for a variety of vibrational and thermal loads, and with a variety of industrial pipe sizes.