Expansion joint is a flexible structure installed on the container shell or pipeline to compensate for additional stress caused by temperature difference and mechanical vibration.
Due to its advantages such as reliable operation, good performance, and compact structure, it has been widely used in sectors such as chemical, metallurgical, and nuclear energy as an elastic compensation element that can freely expand and contract.
There are various forms of expansion joints used on containers, with U-shaped expansion joints being the most widely used in terms of wave shape, followed by Ω – and C-shaped expansion joints.
In terms of structural compensation, the expansion joints used on pipelines include universal, pressure balanced, hinged, and universal joint types.