Fronek Anchor/Darling Enterprises, a division of PT&P designed and fabricated hydraulic snubbers for a geothermal facility in California. The Fig. 510 AD snubbers ranged in size from 34-3/4″ to 37-5/8″ piston-to-piston and were designed for a 50,000 lb. maximum load, 5″ cylinder size and a 6″ stroke. The Fig. 511 AD snubbers ranged in size from 56-15/16″ to 59-5/16″ P-P and were designed for a 20,000 lb. maximum load, 2-1/2″ cylinder size and a 6″ stroke. Hydraulic snubbers are designed to protect the piping system when a sudden, heavy load is applied (such as an earthquake of high intensity), which can cause serious vibrations leading to complete destruction. A custom three-bolt pipe clamp fabricated from carbon steel was designed to fit in a limited space. A cycle test throughout the full stroke from zero to fully extended was performed prior to shipment.

Snubbers: A General Overview

14 1/2" diameter 225,000 lb. load Hydraulic Snubber

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These hydraulic snubber assemblies were designed with maximum load capacities ranging from 1700 lb. to 59,400 lb. All of the snubbers were provided with an overall stroke of 6” and were preset to the midpoint of the total stroke, meaning that during operation, these snubbers could accommodate piping deflections of  +/- 3” from the installed position.

The piston diameters range from 1-1/2″ to 6″ and the total assembly length ranges from 31-1/2″ to 220″. The largest assembly required a custom extension section to eliminate the risk of buckling under compression loads. Two-thirds of the assemblies included dual end brackets and the remaining assemblies included an end bracket/clamp combination. The housing, extension piece and end brackets are fabricated from carbon steel, while the cylinders, pins and two of the end brackets are fabricated from polished stainless steel. Standard “lock and bleed-down” tests were performed prior to shipping to a LNG processing facility in Peru.

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Hydraulic Snubbers in Assembly

Shown above are hydraulic snubbers which are used to protect critical components in refineries, power plants and other industrial plants from sudden movement by the attached piping system. Engineers specify these for systems subject to sudden accelerations caused by earthquakes, extreme wind loads or water hammer.Hydraulic snubbers resist sudden rapid movement of the pipe by limiting the flow rate of the fluid inside the snubber. The device is designed to slow movement, such as would be expected during thermal expansion, has practically no resistance, but sudden rapid movement is resisted with a force proportional to the velocity raised to a power, where the power is determined by the orifice valve and flow pattern in the design. Selection of materials and liquids used will depend on the environment where the snubber is installed.

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