On Stresses in Pipeline Expansion Bellows

Abstract

An analytical procedure employing the general theory of shells of revolution and finite element method is presented to examine the stress patterns along the convolution of the pipeline expansion bellows under axial compression. A simple three-node axisymmetric shell element is used to compute axial and circumferential stress components. Three example problems which include two corrugated-pipe-type and one U-type bellows, have been analyzed. Comparison of the present numerical results with the experimentally procured data from the open literature illustrates the reliability, accuracy, elaborateness and versatility of this approach.