Thermal Expansion Compensators

A volume of liquid trapped in an enclosed piping system has the potential to expand with a corresponding rise in ambient temperature. Some liquids more than others have high coefficients of expansion and are particularly sensitive even to small temperature changes. Liquid hydrocarbons and derivatives thereof are the best examples. Volumetric expansion in an enclosed system necessarily means that the pressure in that line must also rise, exponentially!

Thermal Expansion problem

Considering the liability, both in terms of safety and operation, rigid piping systems have to be designed with rupture disks and/or relief valves to handle these over pressure conditions when they occur. When the frequency of occurrence exceeds reason, then maintenance cost become a nuisance.

Answer:   Thermal Volume Expansion Compensators. Simply stated, these devices can besized to accumulate the pre-calculated expansion volume and limit the pressurerise to a pre-determined set point somewhere below that of the rupture disk. It becomes a self regulated system with only the periodic maintenance of thecompensator, itself - quite a saving in many instances.