It is difficult to imagine modern industrial production without the use of pipelines. For their installation, such an element as a sliding support is widely used. It is one of the most important components of trunk systems, ensuring their full and continuous use.
Support for pipelines
Supports for any piping systems must be reliable and of high quality. They serve to improve system performance and ensure its integrity.
There are two types of supports: movable and fixed. The first, in turn, depending on the requirements of the pipeline design, can be:
- sliding;
- skid;
- pendant;
- roller;
- spring.
Their application is determined by the design features of the pipeline itself and depends on the following indicators:
- appointment of pipes (what exactly the main is used for);
- the place of their installation (underground, outdoor, wall, mine);
- spatial orientation (horizontal, vertical);
- lengthsystem;
- number of twists and turns.
Sliding support
Such a support is a specific device that allows the pipe to have some mobility. Any material expands when heated. With a rigidly fixed fastening, this leads to deformation of the pipes and their damage. Joints are considered the most vulnerable.
The main task of the sliding bearing is to prevent the occurrence of excessive loads on the pipeline.
The pressure inside the pipes creates some vibration. The longer the pipeline, the greater the angle of deflection. External adverse weather conditions, especially strong winds or earthquakes, should not be ruled out.
Varieties of sliding bearings
Steel is used in the manufacture of sliding bearings. The main types include the following:
- sliding clamp support that allows pipes to move in a certain direction;
- ball - for axial or transverse displacement of pipes;
- dielectric, which serves to protect against electricity;
- roller, which makes it possible for pipes to move along the axis (with temperature fluctuations);
- support on metal brackets, which provides displacement of the pipe in a specific direction.
Regardless of type, all sliding supports serve to protect pipelines from mechanical damage.
Sliding foot design
The simplestthe design can be imagined as a combination of a rigid base and fasteners with gaskets. Regardless of the type, any sliding support for pipes consists of the following elements:
- base, which can be made from channel, wide angle;
- paronite gasket for electricity protection;
- fixing structure;
- collar;
- connecting parts - bolts, nuts, washers.
Installation of supports requires careful determination of the distance between them. It depends on what exactly will be transported along the highway. Even the temperature of the water matters. For a hot water system, the calculated distance between the supports is allowed larger than for cold water systems.
There are more nuances in the application of insulation. In order to prevent its damage during friction of the support and pipe parts, graphite grease is used. A seamless waterproofing material is used for the metal case. Work on welding ties and clamps is carried out only after the final installation of the sliding support.
Benefits
Sliding bearings have a number of features:
- easy installation;
- long service life;
- reliability and strength;
- large selection of sizes, which makes it easy to choose a support for each specific case.
Sliding bearings help keep main pipelines intact. This is due to the compensation of thermal expansion, vertical and transverse loads,smoothing torque and leveling other physical influences (vibrations, shaking). As a result, enormous financial savings on repair work are provided.
With such characteristics, sliding bearings certainly have preference in the construction of modern pipelines. The price varies from several hundred rubles to tens of thousands and directly depends on the weight, length, size, design, material of manufacture and some other aspects.
PUF pipes
Pipes with a polyurethane foam shell are widely used for laying highways in cases where a low degree of thermal conductivity is needed.
Polyurethane foam itself is a type of foam. It is used as a heat insulator. This is an environmentally friendly material that is not susceptible to damage by fungi and mold, rotting. Durable, wear-resistant, with low thermal conductivity, it is a serious competitor for other types of heat insulators.
The PPU sliding support has some design features: an increased length of the support pad and wider collars. To prevent deformation of the PPU pipe shell, rubber is most often used as an insulating material.
Scope of application
Main industries where sliding bearings are most used:
- metallurgy;
- mechanical engineering;
- oil refining;
- construction;
- thermal power industry;
- housing and communal services;
- gas production.
On main pipelines, sliding supports help to maintain the thermal insulation coating, protect them from the adverse effects of the external environment and ensure free longitudinal movement of pipes.
