TEMA | SHELL & TUBE HEAT

EXCHANGERS
Online Training: Lesson 1
Introduction and Design Codes

Study Notes

Instructor: Javier Tirenti

www.arvengtraining.com
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Table of contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................. 3
1. Design Codes.......................................................................................................... 8
1.1) Code TEMA | Tubular Exchangers Manufacturers Association ........................... 9
1.2) HEI Standard | Heat Exchange Institute........................................................... 14
1.3) API 660 | American Petroleum Institute .......................................................... 16
1.4) ASME VIII Code | Parts Under Pressure ............................................................ 17
1.5) ASME Code VIII Division 1 | Part UHX for Heat Exchangers .............................. 26
1.6) Applicability .................................................................................................. 26
1.7) TEMA versus ASME VIII Part UHX .................................................................... 26
1.8) TEMA & ASME ................................................................................................ 26
1.9) TEMA & API .................................................................................................... 27
1.10) HEI & ASME .................................................................................................... 27

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Introduction
The term heat exchanger encompasses all devices used to transfer energy from one
fluid to another. Some examples of this group are radiators, water heaters,
refrigeration batteries, evaporators, steam generators, etc.

Diagram of a shell and tube heat exchanger.

1) Classification
The more general classification that can be done for heat exchangers is according to the
type of heat transfer method between the fluids. According to this criterion, heat
exchangers are usually divided into two groups:

Classification of Heat Exchangers according to the heat transfer method.

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a) Direct contact – In this type of heat exchangers, heat transfer takes place between
two immiscible fluids like a gas and a liquid coming into direct contact.
Common examples of direct contact heat exchangers are cooling towers and mix
condensers and desuperheaters.
b) Indirect contact- In indirect contact type of heat exchangers, the hot and cold
fluids are separated by an impervious surface. The surface acts like a physical
barrier, separating the two fluid flows, thus there is no possibility of direct contact
or contamination between the fluids, except in case of damage of the separation
barrier.
Examples of this type of heat exchanger are hell and tube exchangers, double tube
exchangers and plate heat exchangers.

2) Classification based on the type of construction

Based on the type of construction, heat exchangers are classified as follows:

Classification of Heat Exchangers according to the type of construction.

Additionally, multi-tubular or shell and tube heat exchanger can be classified as per the
number of times each particle of the fluid travels the entire exchanger length. This is
know as “pass”.
The type of flow between the fluids (tube side and shell side) can adopt the following
configurations:
a) Parallel-flow - hot and cold fluids enter at the same end of the heat exchanger, and
flow through in the same direction, leaving together at the other end of the
exchanger.

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b) Co-current flow - hot and cold fluids enter at the same end of the heat exchanger,
fowling in the same direction.
c) Counterflow- hot and cold fluids enter at opposite ends of the heat exchanger and
flow in opposite directions
d) Crossflow – both fluids flow at right angles with respect to each other. In this
arrangement, the flow may be mixed or unmixed.

With this information, the mechanical elements can be determined and designed
individually.

Constituent parts of an Air Cooler.

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Constituent parts of a double pipe exchanger (Double Pipe).

Constituent parts of a plate exchanger (Frame & Plate).

3) Design
To design a shell and tube heat exchanger it is mandatory to have the inputs
indicated in the datasheet of the equipment. The datasheet is nothing more than a
compilation of information obtained during the thermal study of the process in which
the exchanger is included. With this information, the mechanical elements can be
determined and designed individually.

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Parts of a shell and tube heat exchanger for water heating.

The design methods of the parts that could be included in a shell and tube heat exchanger
will be described in the following chapters of this document. However, not every element
described herein will be involved in the design of every shell and tube heat exchanger.
Elements should be selected according to the needs and requirements specified in the
datasheet. For example, this means that a TEMA heat exchanger type "NEN" will not
require a floating head or torispherical head, these elements are described in this course
for the cases which do require them.
For the calculation and design of the different components of heat exchangers
described in this course, the criteria set by TEMA code will be followed.

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1. Design Codes
The causes that led to the development of these design codes were essentially
associated with heat exchanger manufacturers needing to unify the design methods,
seeking to find solutions for the issues presented by final users. The latter usually
claimed for the quality and tolerances provided in the design and manufacture of
equipment.
Depending on the installation site of a heat exchanger, mandatory regulations and
customer specifications, we must apply a design code or another.
The mechanical design of heat exchangers, like the vast majority of equipment for
industrial processes, are governed by different standards and codes. In this case, they
are:
• TEMA Code
• Standard HEI
• Specification API 660
• Codes ASME VIII, Div.1 part UHX

These codes establish the mechanical requirements. However, since a heat exchanger is
also an equipment under pressure, it is necessary to define the design method to be
used for these parts. Some codes for the mechanical design leave freedom to choose the
code to use for the parts under pressure, the usual is to use the ASME Code Section VIII.

Nowadays, the great variety of technological processes demand the design of equipment
with particular characteristics; even so, most applications can be included with the codes
mentioned below

.
Codes used in the design of shell and tube heat exchangers.

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1.1) Code TEMA | Tubular Exchangers Manufacturers Association

The aim of the TEMA (Tubular Exchangers Manufacturers Association) code is to
regulate the design and manufacturing criteria for shell and tube heat exchangers
for general applications.

Parts of a shell and tube exchanger according to TEMA.

This code is divided into the following parts:

Organization and sections of the TEMA code.

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1.9) TEMA & API

The design codes are not in conflict but are complementary. In fact, the specification
API 660, in point 4.2, establishes that the construction of shell and tube heat
exchangers will be in accordance with the TEMA code.
Since API is an international standard, it leaves the selection of the Pressure Parts Code to
the heat exchanger buyer. Normally, the design code used for pressure parts is the ASME
Section VII Code.
While the TEMA code is of general application, API only applies to exchangers for the Oil
& Gas industry, the petrochemical industry, and the Natural Gas industry.

1.10) HEI & ASME

With respect to the mechanical design and design of the parts under pressure, these
design codes are not in conflict but are complementary. The HEI standard in section
1.2 indicates the applicability of the ASME Code Section VIII for the calculation of the
pressurized parts of shell and tube heat exchangers according to the design
requirements of the equipment.

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