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Piping Elbows - Thrust Block Forces

Thrust forces are created in piping bends due to fluid flow velocity, mass, and internal pressure. An online calculator can be used to determine the resulting thrust force based on pipe diameter, fluid properties, flow rate, pressure, and bend angle. Forces are generated in both the direction of the bend and perpendicular to it, and must be resisted by adequate pipe supports or thrust blocks to prevent failures in the piping system.

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647 views5 pages

Piping Elbows - Thrust Block Forces

Thrust forces are created in piping bends due to fluid flow velocity, mass, and internal pressure. An online calculator can be used to determine the resulting thrust force based on pipe diameter, fluid properties, flow rate, pressure, and bend angle. Forces are generated in both the direction of the bend and perpendicular to it, and must be resisted by adequate pipe supports or thrust blocks to prevent failures in the piping system.

Uploaded by

Sasank
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Piping Elbows - Thrust Block Forces


Thrust block forces on pipe bends anchor due to liquid velocity and internal
pressure - online resulting force calculator
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In a piping structure without adequately support fluid flow velocities and internal pressures may
create intolerable forces and tensions.

Online Pipe Bend Resulting Force Calculator


The calculator below can used to calculate the resulting force in a piping bend:

Metric Units
1000 ρ - density of fluid (kg/m3)

0.102 d - int. diam. pipe or bend (m)

8 v - velocity of fluid (m/s)

65.62 β - turning angle of bend (o)

4100 p - gauge pressure (kPa)

Calculate!

Imperial Units
1 SG - specific gravity of fluid
4.03 d - int. diam. pipe or bend (inches)

66.7 v - velocity of fluid (ft/s)

45 β - turning angle of bend (o)

14.5 p - gauge pressure (psi)

Calculate!

The required support force for a thrust block - or an anchor - for a bend depends on

the fluid mass flow, or flow velocity


the change of flow direction
the internal pressure

Resulting force due to Mass flow and Flow Velocity


The resulting force in x-direction due to mass flow and flow velocity can be expressed as:

Rx = m v (1 - cosβ) (1)

= ρ A v2 (1 - cosβ) (1b)

= ρ π (d / 2)2 v2 (1 - cosβ) (1c)

where

Rx = resulting force in x-direction (N)

m = mass flow (kg/s)

v = flow velocity (m/s)

β = turning bend angle (degrees)

ρ = fluid density (kg/m3)

d = internal pipe or bend diameter (m)

π = 3.14...

The resulting force in y-direction due to mass flow and flow velocity can be expressed as:

Ry = m v sinβ (2)

= ρ A v2 sinβ (2b)

= ρ π (d / 2)2 v2 sinβ (2c)


Ry = resulting force in y direction (N)

The resulting force on the bend due to force in x- and y-direction can be expressed as:

R = (Rx2 + Ry2)1/2 (3)

where

R = resulting force on the bend (N)

Example - Resulting force on a bend due to mass flow and flow velocity
The resulting force on a 45o bend with

internal diameter 102 mm = 0.102 m


water with density 1000 kg/m3
flow velocity 20 m/s

can be calculated by as

Resulting force in x-direction:

Rx = (1000 kg/m3) π ((0.102 m) / 2)2 (20 m/s)2 (1 - cos(45))

= 957 N

Resulting force in y-direction:

Ry = (1000 kg/m3) π ((0.102 m) / 2)2 (20 m/s)2 sin(45)

= 2311 N

Resulting force on the bend

R = (957 N)2 + (2311 N)2)1/2

= 2501 N

Note - if β is 90o the resulting forces in x- and y-directions are the same.

Resulting force due to Static Pressure


The pressure "acting" on the end surfaces of the bend creates resulting forces in x- and y-
directions.

The resulting force in x-direction can be expressed as

Rpx = p A (1- cos β) (4)


= p π (d / 2)2 (1- cos β) (4b)

where

Rpx = resulting force due to pressure in x-direction (N)

p = gauge pressure inside pipe (Pa, N/m2)

The resulting force in y-direction can be expressed as

Rpy = p π (d / 2)2 sinβ (5)

where

Rpy = resulting force due to pressure in y-direction (N)

The resulting force on the bend due to force in x- and y-direction can be expressed as:

Rp = (Rpx2 + Rpy2)1/2 (6)

where

Rp = resulting force on the bend due to static pressure (N)

Example - Resulting force on a bend due to pressure


The resulting force on a 45o bend with

internal diameter 102 mm = 0.102 m


pressure 100 kPa

can be calculated by as

Resulting force in x-direction:

Rx = (100 103 Pa) π ((0.102 m) / 2)2 (1 - cos(45))

= 239 N

Resulting force in y-direction:

Ry = (100 103 Pa) π ((0.102 m) / 2)2 sin(45)

= 578 N

Resulting force on the bend

R = ((239 N)2 + (577 N)2)1/2


= 625 N

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