Tube sheets are used to provide a termination for the tubes within the heat exchanger, while maintaining the design pressure and providing a flat and resealable surface to locate the removable headers. They are generally rectangular or circular in form and, with intermediate supports and fin material, they align the tubes within the heat exchanger.
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Learn more about how the different types of heat exchanger tube sheets are used.
Sterling TT designs and manufactures bespoke heat exchangers. We can also offer test, inspection and report, and repair, refurbishment or replacement service for existing heat exchangers.
A tube sheet in a heat exchanger is a plate with holes drilled in at optimal positions. Tubes then pass through these holes. The tube sheet holds the tubes in place within the heat exchanger to ensure effective heat transfer.
In shell and tube heat exchangers, two plates support the tubes, one on each end. Fluid passes through the tubes while a second fluid (coolant) flows within the shell surrounding the tubes.
Heat exchanger engineers can design tube sheets in different ways to support specific and challenging operations.
Fixed tube sheets are perhaps the most &#;standard&#; form of tube sheet. They are used when there are no harsh or challenging operating conditions. It describes straight tubes that are fixed to the shell at both ends.
Double tube sheets are used in operations when it&#;s vital that the substances in the heat exchanger don&#;t mix. They prevent cross-contamination by providing a void between the two tube sheets in which the leaking substance can evacuate the heat exchanger. This is paired with a detector in the leakage path to raise an alarm.
With a single tube sheet design, the tube-to-tube join at the sheet can allow small amounts of contamination between the tube-side and shell-side fluids. There is no known joining method which completely eliminates the risk of contamination, so instead, heat exchangers that must avoid contamination use a double tube sheet.
A double tube sheet, as it sounds, includes two tube sheets. In the event of a leak, the tube-side fluid collects between the two tube sheets, instead of leaking into the shell where the shell-side fluid is contained.
There are a wide range of operations in which this could be vital.
In some countries, it&#;s the law for heat exchangers in power plant condensers to use double tube sheets. It prevents the coolant, which often contains a lot of impurities, contaminating the condensate. This could otherwise lead to serious chemical reactions, risking the safety of the plant.
Double tube sheets are also commonly used in generators for marine environments. For example, in submarines.
Sterling TT has experience designing and manufacturing heat exchangers for use within power generation industries, including in renewable energy, and heat exchangers for defence.
Floating tube sheets, sometimes referred to as a floating head, have one end fixed to the shell while the other &#;floats&#; freely.
This form of heat exchanger tube sheet is important where the product undergoes dynamic temperature changes. This could be a heat exchanger that has a cycle of hot and then cold mediums.
Temperature changes can cause the tubes to expand or shrink. Where both ends are fixed, the pressure on the metal could cause leaks or damage. A floating design prevents stress on the joints by allowing for shrinkage and expansion.
It&#;s also helping in industries that process substances which leave sediment or other build up. In a floating tube sheet design, the tube bundle can be removed for cleaning or inspection.
Floating tube sheets are the most common form of tube sheets used in heat exchangers.
At Sterling TT, we use them in oil to water transformer coolers, but they have a huge number of applications. They are often found in heat exchangers for chemical and petrochemical industries.
Heat exchanger tube sheets are an essential element, particularly in shell and tube designs. Different designs can help the heat exchanger to function in more challenging operating environments. They can reduce the risk of contamination, adapt to dynamic temperatures or allow for easier cleaning and maintenance.
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Tube sheets have holes drilled to accept a series of tubes inside of an enclosed tubular pressure vessel. These pressure vessels, commonly referred to as shell and tube heat exchangers, are the most common heat exchangers used in oil refineries and large chemical plants. The tube sheet itself serves as a supporting element in heat exchangers and boilers. The tube sheet is called this because the tubes&#;which are carefully arranged in a specific pattern&#;penetrate the tube sheet in multiple places to allow the fluid within these tubes to flow in and out of the heat exchanger. The fluid flowing through the tubes within the shell exchanges heat with the fluid that flows into the shell but flows past the outside of the tubes exchanging the heat with the tube fluid.
These types of heat exchangers are commonly used for cooling hydraulic fluid and oil in engines and transmissions, but can be used for heating and cooling many other applications such as the water in swimming pools and even pull waste heat from exhaust gases and funnel it into other processes, resulting in tremendous energy savings.
Tube sheets are typically constructed from a round flat piece of plate&#;usually consisting of a thermally conductive, corrosion resistant metal such as aluminum, copper, steel, nickel or some other alloy of these metals. The tube sheet then has holes drilled in the precise locations where the tubes will be within the exchanger. These are typically produced using a combination of CAD software to design and determine the exact positions of the holes, which are then drilled using a computer numerical control (CNC) machine. Next, the tubes are attached using hydraulic pressure or by roller expansion.
The tube sheet is an essential component of a shell and tube heat exchanger because it must support and isolate the fluid within them from the other fluid flowing through the shell. In some cases, where it is particularly important to prevent the tube fluid from mixing with the shell fluid, a double tube sheet might be installed within the exchanger.
Forged Components Inc. (FCI) is the leading ASME pressure vessel connections manufacturer that also specializes in the production of forged tube sheets for various heat exchanger fabricators throughout the North America. For more information, please call us at (281) 441- or contact us online to get a quote from our sales staff.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website Industrial Tube Sheets.