A low-pressure tubular system, for instance a vacuum tube train transportation system, comprising: a multitude of interconnected tube sections having a longitudinal axis; wherein each of the tube sections comprise a central part and two outer end parts; wherein the tubular system is configured to maintain a low-pressure environment within the connected tube sections; wherein the system further comprises a multitude of expansion joints connecting the tube sections; wherein each of the expansion joints comprises a sleeve made of a flexible sheet material and comprising a ring shaped endless central part and two ring shaped endless outer end parts; and wherein each of the outer end parts of the expansion joints are arranged to extend coaxial with an adjacent tube section and surround and sealingly engage the outer end part of said adjacent tube section.

An expansion joint includes: an outer tube including first and second ends and extending therebetween, the outer tube including first and second flanges, the first being located at the first end, the second being located at the second end and connectable to a downstream pipe; an inner tube including third and fourth ends and extending therebetween, the inner tube being located inside the outer and including third and middle flanges, the third flange being located at the third end and connectable to the upstream pipe, the middle flange being located at a middle portion between the third and fourth ends; and a closure including an outer peripheral portion connected to the first flange, an inner peripheral portion connected to the middle flange, and an elastic portion connecting the outer and inner peripheral portions. The first end is spaced from the third and located between the third and fourth ends.

A compensator arrangement comprising a first fixing unit, a second fixing unit, and an intermediate flexible member removably arranged between the first fixing unit and the second fixing unit and comprising a main body, a first radial end flange and a second radial end flange, wherein the first fixing unit comprises a first connecting member having a first connecting body and a first fixing flange having a plurality of through-holes, a first counter ring, a first clamping ring and a first clamping device for releasably clamping the first radial end flange.

A grooved-ended resilient expansion joint is disclosed. The expansion joint has a resilient expansion member with a central resilient portion and two resilient axially disposed cylindrical ends. Each cylindrical end has a radially outwardly raised distal cylindrical gasket portion with at least one inside shoulder having an inner diameter sized substantially the same as an outer diameter of a pipe to be joined. A pair of pre-assembled pipe couplings are provided for joining the expansion joint to a pair grooved-ended pipe segments without disassembling the coupling.

A bellows having tweezers-shaped corrugated portions for increasing resistance and restoring force against torsion includes: a first flat part having a flat cylindrical shape; a second flat part having a flat cylindrical shape and disposed opposite to the first flat part; and a plurality of corrugated portions, each having a tweezers shape and disposed between the first flat part and the second flat part, wherein each of the plurality of corrugated portions is sequentially connected to each other, so as to increase resistance and restoring force against torsion.

The invention relates to a compensator arrangement comprising a first fixing unit (10), a second fixing unit (20), and an intermediate flexible member (30) removably arranged between the first fixing unit (10) and the second fixing unit (20) and comprising a main body (33), a first radial end flange (31) and a second radial end flange (32), wherein the first fixing unit (10) comprises a first connecting member (11) having a first connecting body (11a) and a first fixing flange (11b) having a plurality of through-holes (11c), a first counter ring (12), a first clamping ring (13) and a first clamping device (14) for releasably clamping the first radial end flange (31), the first clamping device (14) comprising bolts (15) and elongated recesses (13a) for receiving the bolts, the second fixing unit (20) comprises a second connecting member (21) comprising a connecting body (21a) and a second fixing flange (21b) having a plurality of through-holes (21c), a second counter ring (22), a second clamping ring (23) and second clamping device (24) for releasably clamping the second radial end flange (32), the second clamping device (24) comprising bolts (15) and elongated recesses for receiving the bolts, wherein the first end flange (31) of the flexible intermediate member (30) is fluid-tightly clamped between the first fixing flange (11b) of the first connecting member (11) and the first counter ring (12), and wherein the second end flange (32) of the flexible intermediate member (30) is fluid-tightly clamped between the second fixing flange (21b) of the second connecting member (21) and the second counter ring (22).

A method of restoring a tubular assembly having a plurality of coupled tubular bodies includes the steps of inserting a first tubular element and a second tubular element inside the tubular assembly, the first tubular element having a first free end facing a second free end of the second tubular element, and of pushing at least one of the first or second tubular element against the other so as to bring the first free end and the second free end into contact. Before the step of inserting, there is a step of producing a collar on at least the first free end of the first tubular element.

A method of recovering a hydrogen-enriched gas at least 70 percent by volume hydrogen includes introducing into the feed device to a rotary furnace defining a tubular interior space, starting materials containing carbon or hydrocarbons. A mass of water being added to the starting material is regulated according to the content of hydrogen in the gas mixture leaving the rotary furnace. The tubular interior space of the rotary furnace is expanded axially to accommodate thermally expanding the starting material and water in the interior space of the rotary furnace.

An exhaust gas pipe includes: a plurality of pipe bodies which are formed in a tubular shape centered on an axis and are arranged in a direction of the axis and through which an exhaust gas led from an engine body flows; a connection portion which connects a pair of the pipe bodies adjacent to each other; and a gasket which is provided between the pipe body and the connection portion, wherein a flange projecting toward an outer peripheral side is provided a an end portion of the pipe body in the direction of the axis, wherein the connection portion includes a main connection body which has a tubular shape centered on the axis and a pressing ring which is provided with a facing surface facing the flange while sandwiching the gasket in a gap between the flange and the facing surface, and wherein the exhaust gas pipe further includes: coupling members which are provided at intervals in a circumferential direction and couple the flange and the pressing ring to each other; and a deformation prevention member that is provided in an outer peripheral region of the gap.

A bellows member (10) for use in connecting two plumbing interfaces to one another. The bellows member is a generally hollow design with cuff ends (12, 14), each of which connects to an ends of another interface. The bellows member has a flexible bellows body center section that moves to accommodate operational off-axis misalignment, while being able to absorb vacuum and pressure differentials. The disclosed bellows resists vacuum implosion and internal pressurization. The flexible center section is provided with a plurality of convolutes (34, 36, 38) oriented radially outwardly on a horizontal axis. The bellows functions to accommodate misalignment between the two plumbing interfaces.