Pipe support performance – ask the expert | Vibration, dynamics and noise.

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Pipe support performance – ask the expert
Technical Newsletter Q&A from our pipe support evaluation webinar "Shake, rattle and grow (part III)"
Recommended Guidelines and By Jordan Grose and Timothy Bootsveld
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The answers below were given in the context of the webinar and do not address all aspects of the issues discussed.
Training For more comprehensive information or application support, we strongly encourage you to contact the experts directly.
Articles, Tips and Requirements

Ask the expert CONTENTS [ hide ]

Data acquisition
1 Videos
Pipe stress analysis
2 Definition of anti-vibration support
Pipe stress modelling techniques
3 Classification of pipe supports
Pipe support performance
4 Applications
Pump dampeners
5 Effects of support types
Pulsation analysis
6 How to model supports
Rotordynamic vibration diagnostics
7 Support features and details
Small-bore piping connections
8 Video: damping liner test
Vibration problem solving

1 VIDEOS
Videos shown in the webinar:

… …

2 DEFINITION OF ANTI-VIBRATION SUPPORT

We define ‘anti-vibration supports' as follows:
Supports that (when installed on an adequately stiff base) are capable of forcing the vibration nodes of a gas-filled pipe’s
fundamental bending mode to manifest at the support location, for all vibrating modes up to 15 Hz, and for pipe wall thicknesses up
to Sch. XS.

3 CLASSIFICATION OF PIPE SUPPORTS

How can I know if a pipe support has nodality?
For most pipe supports out there, we don't know if it will provide nodality
or not. This is a reason why we do the testing, so that's part of the
problem of what we're trying to address: there’s a gap in the industry in
how we categorize these supports.
Testing can determine if there is nodality or not, and we do provide a
testing methodology in the GMRC paper we've referenced.

On the anti-vibration support definition, why does it use a gas-

filled pipe?
The definition was indexed to the gas-filled pipe because the mass of gas
is negligible compared to the mass of the pipe.
For liquid systems, the mass of the fluid is not negligible compared to the
mass of the pipe. The nodal frequency/minimum stiffness can be
corrected for this using the density of the fluid particular to your
For pipe supports to dynamically restrain piping, (= vibratory
application.
node is enforced at the support location), the support must
restrain the pipe with a sufficiently high stiffness.
Can you confirm, the discussed definition for ‘anti-vibration,’ is
Stiffness, ‘K’, is the measure of the force require to achieve a
it from Wood, and where did the Hertz come from?
unit displacement (lb/in, N/m)
Yes. This definition was put forward by Wood. I would recommend you
look up the paper that we wrote for the Gas Machinery Conference, “ Shake rattle and grow – empirical data on the effectiveness of
vibration supports in a thermal growth environment.”
We go through a very in-depth discussion as to how we came to the Hertz. The Hertz is high enough that it avoids a lot of the low-
frequency flow-induced turbulence-based broadband energy that you typically see in liquid and even gas systems. I've seen some
companies use seven Hertz. It’s a good number to keep you away from low-frequency vibration problems.

Have you reviewed I-Rod/u-bolt pipe supports? How would you evaluate them?
Yes, we included 'Nu-bolts' in our testing and found that they are classified as 'flexible' supports because they do not have the
minimum stiffness in all three directions (decision point #1 of the flow chart). So, they have their place, but they are not anti-vibration.

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Please refer to our paper Shake rattle and grow, which includes more results than shown in the webinar, and we're continuing to do
more research and testing even up to today.

Classification flow chart for pipe supports – flexible, rigid and dual-purpose supports

4 APPLICATIONS
In what environments can DamperX clamps be used?
The current DamperX products can be used for temperatures between -17°C to 204°C (1°F to 400°F).

Can Wood's anti-vibration supports be used on high-speed and multiple-speed-range machines, for example,
compressors around 1000 RPM?
We recommend selecting a support that can maintain nodality for these frequencies. You'd
want to space your supports appropriately. If you can't find a support that can maintain
nodality up to that Hertz, you might consider using a support that has a higher amount of
damping.

How will these anti-vibration supports work in areas with winter conditions?
Our clamps have a temperature range from -17°C to 204°C (1°F to 400°F), depending on
the lining that you select. The same applies to the shoes. For conditions outside this range,
please contact us directly.

Can Wood’s anti-vibration clamps be used in hazardous areas?

Generally, yes. It depends on what type of hazard, but they can be used in most petroleum,
chemical and natural gas type facilities.
Wood ThermaGlide anti-vibration clamp
Do these supports work with liquid pipes too? for thermal growth environments

Yes, our clamps work on liquid systems, too.

5 EFFECTS OF SUPPORT TYPES

If you restrain the pipe to prevent vibration, will this increase the stress in your system? How do you balance both
these requirements of holding down the pipe and remit static stresses?
Yes, if you hold down the pipe with an anti-vibration support, you will create stress problems unless the pipe and support are allowed
to slide. That's why we have introduced both:
1. ThermaGlide anti-vibration sliding supports that both control vibration, while also having sliding capability to reduce pipe stress in
the system, and;
2. The concept of a bilinear pipe support, to allow for accurate modeling of anti-vibration pipe supports in a pipe stress model

We discuss this in-depth in Shake rattle and grow part I, where you can learn how to accurately model these types of pipe supports
in your pipe stress model, and how to account for the sliding capability of these anti-vibration dual-purpose supports.

Can we use spring washers with adequate stiffness as a damper spring washer?
We don't recommend it. We've seen people try, but you'd have to implement it in a way that the stiffness is always in contact with the
pipe. It can be problematic ensuring the spring washer stiffness exceeds the stiffness minimums. We have seen installations in the
past that failed because the pipe lifts off from the support, thus removing the vertical stiffness from the supporting structure.
We prefer the clamp design and do not supply spring washers due to these implementation issues. We provide calibrated torque
specifications that we find is a simpler solution to maintain the hold-down friction force you need. We don't recommend using the
spring washer method.

Would the rigid support (contestant 2) break away with steel on steel friction?
If we continued to increase the pulling load on the pipe, the pipe would eventually be pulled through the clamp. However, we only
pulled up to a load equal to the maximum allowable load given by the manufacturer and did not observe sliding up to that load level.

6 HOW TO MODEL SUPPORTS

How do you model the sliding support in Caesar II?
Please find out how to model sliding supports or other anti-vibration supports in Caesar II accurately by watching part I of this
webinar, where this topic is covered extensively.

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7 SUPPORT FEATURES AND DETAILS

Do Wood supports use Fabreeka?
Fabreeka is a material that is often used in lining clamps. It is
very popular in North America.
The answer is no; we do not use Fabreeka in our supports.
We have tested numerous materials as liners for our clamps,
including Fabreeka, and have found that very few lining
materials provide any damping benefit at all. The DamperX
materials we use in our products provide the most damping
on the market, while also having good properties for industrial
environments.

Is ThermaGlide a trademark?
Yes, it is. It's one of the ways we use to categorize our anti-
vibration products that have the thermal sliding capabilities.

Do you supply data sheets on how to apply DamperX

clamps?
Yes, we provide data on where and how they can be used. Pipe support performance test results – damping and vibration control
Please contact us directly for detailed specs.

8 VIDEO: DAMPING LINER TEST

Watch on

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RELATED PAGES
Webinar: Shake, rattle and grow I (2022 update) • Webinar: Shake, rattle and grow – part II • Webinar: Shake, rattle and grow –
part III • Shake, rattle and grow – empirical data on the effectiveness of vibration supports • Anti-Vibration Clamps, incl.
DamperX™ and ThermaGlide™ •

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