When a plant stops due to a breakdown, it is necessary to solve quickly the problem, in order to restart the production, as soon as possible.
As you know, any downtime means a significant economic loss. In particular if the damage is on a metal expansion joint, placed in a wall pass, roof or bottom of a recovery boiler, in a combined cycle plant, it is important to act immediately.
This type of situation is not that impossible, since expansion joints are often subject to damages. These are flexible connections, whose purpose is to absorb vibrations and compensate the movements, the expansion joints are subject to different types of mechanical stress, as unexpected vibrations or movements, which lead to possible damage.
In these cases, the intervention can have the dual purpose of restarting the system immediately and at the same time ensuring that the compensator is able to work correctly until the scheduled maintenance stop. It is therefore necessary to find a solution that is simple and quick to install.
Fabric expansion joints are the ideal solution
With this premise a fabric expansion joint is the ideal solution as it is a product:
- technological from the production point of view
- simple to install
- easy to replace
In particular, ultra-performing fabric expansion joints are required in combined cycle energy production plants since movements and pulsations in the boiler can be particularly intense.
The first time New Componit faced an intervention of this type was more than 20 years ago: an Italian thermoelectric plant had a similar problem that New Componit solved by means of a fabric expansion joint.
Since then Piperflex®, fabric expansion joints designed and produced by New Componit for these particular conditions, have changed and evolved considerably. Today these products have become essential for:
- scheduled maintenance intervention of plants;
- revamping of GVR modules in electricity production plants.
Piperflex® are a type of expansion joints designed for wall pass in recovery boilers (HRSG), with some important advantages:
- high capacity to compensate large movements, both lateral and axial;
- unique heat reduction characteristics (up to 900°C);
- good gas tightness.
They can also successfully replace metal expansion joints for the same applications.
On this purpose, we can say that, in sector like thermoelectric plants, which are forced to several “stop & go” (depending on energy demand ), metal expansion joints are subject to frequent damages, as they have not been designed for such demanding cycles.
It is for this reason that New Componit has created a task force for intervention in combined cycle plants by supplying and replacing metal expansion joints with fabric expansion joints.
Piperflex® are the result of a continuous research process for more and more efficient materials, capable of withstanding ever higher temperatures and expansion movements.
Furthermore, New Componit offers its customers a tailor-made service called Efficiency Box® which responds to all customers requests, in order to make their production system more productive and safer.
Efficiency Box® includes:
- SYSTEM MONITORING, carried out directly by a New Componit qualified consultant.
- DESIGN AND SUPPLY of the required interventions with simple but technologically advanced solutions.
- INSTALLATION by New Componit personnel or ASSEMBLY SUPERVISION on site.
- DIRECT ASSISTANCE AND READY FOR WORK with a dedicated toll-free number.
Want to improve comfort and performance in your plant with a tailored solution?
Sales Manager
Responsible for commercial management and the development of business opportunities in the fields of industrial insulation and expansion joints.
