:: TECHNOLOGY :: DYNAMIC LOADING ::

The presence of externally applied bending moments is a primary source of leakage in piping connectors and causes many unanticipated problems due to the difficulty in predicting the actual piping loads in many cases. ANSI and API connectors are prone to leak when exposed to bending moments because they tend to rotate around the edge of the connector at the inside of the bend from the applied moment, thereby separating the sealing faces at the outside of the bend and allowing gasket leakage.

The Taper-Lok® connectors differ in the way it reacts to externally applied bending moments because of the angles of the sealing elements. Taper-Lok® flanges tend to rotate around their axial centerlines when the bending moment is applied. As such, the seal ring is exposed to increase loading all the way around the circumference as opposed to the case described for other connections. Therefore with a Taper-Lok® connection, there is no reduction in the connector's ability to maintain its seal, but there is actually an increase in the sealing integrity with the application of an externally applied bending moment where in fact the connector is stronger than the pipe to which it was attached. Furthermore, because the Taper-Lok® seal is kept largely in the elastic region a lower mean stress is maintained, thereby increasing fatigue life.