Various Ways of Connecting Heat Exchanger Tubes And Tube Sheets

The heat exchanger tube is one of the elements of the heat exchanger, which is placed inside the cylinder and used for the exchange of heat between two media. It has high thermal conductivity and good isothermal properties. It is a device that can quickly transfer heat from one point to another, and there is almost no heat loss, so it is called a superconductor of heat transfer, and its coefficient of thermal conductivity is thousands of times that of copper. The connection between heat exchanger tube and tube plate is a more important structural part in the design of shell and tube heat exchanger. It is not only the processing workload, and must make each connection in the operation of the equipment to ensure that the medium without leakage and withstand the medium pressure capacity. Heat exchanger tube and tube plate connection structure form the following four main:

1. Welding Connection

The welding connection between the heat exchange tube and the tube sheet is a common method, which strengthens the connection between the heat exchange tube and the tube sheet through fusion welding technology. This connection method has the characteristics of high connection strength and good sealing, and is suitable for harsh working conditions such as high pressure, high temperature, and corrosion. However, due to defects and stress concentration in welding, it is necessary to strictly control the welding quality and detect welding defects to ensure safety and reliability.

2. Pressing Connection

The pressing connection method is to connect the heat exchange tube port and the tube sheet aperture through the sleeve accessories to form a fully sealed connection. The pressing connection method can be divided into single pressing and double pressing. It has the characteristics of easy installation and good sealing. It is suitable for some low-pressure, general temperature, and working conditions that do not require strong sealing.

3. Tube Expansion Connection

The tube expansion connection method is to expand the heat exchange tube in the tube hole through the tube expander so that the heat exchange tube and the tube hole are sealed and fixed. This connection method has the characteristics of good sealing and easy installation. It is suitable for some low-pressure, low-temperature, and working conditions that do not require strong sealing.

4. Mechanical Seal Connection

The mechanical seal connection method is to connect and fix the heat exchange tube to the tube sheet through a mechanical seal device to form an efficient and sealed connection. The mechanical seal connection method has the characteristics of good sealing and easy disassembly, and is suitable for some working conditions with high requirements for sealing. However, it should be noted that the sealing performance of the mechanical seal connection method is not as good as that of the welding and crimping connection methods.

In summary, the connection of heat exchanger tube and tube plate includes welding, buckling, expanding and mechanical sealing, etc., and it is necessary to choose the appropriate connection according to different working conditions.