INSPECTION OF DOUBLE

TUBESHEET HEAT EXCHANGERS

AT CONFERENCE HALL ON 2ND DEC.2005

Presented by Mr. Prasad Pathak

For the benefit of business and people

 1 Information –Double T/S H.E.
2 Thumb rules
3 Introduction
CONTENTS 4 Tube Sheet Details
5 Tube To Tube Sheet Joint
6 Tube Sheet To Tube Sheet Joint
7 Requirement Of Mock Up
8 Mock Up Testing
6.1 DIM. Report of Mock Up
6.2 Expn. Record of Mock
Up
6.3 Pull Out Record of
Mock Up
9 Problems Incurred
10 Customers Concurrence 2
1

INFORMATION ON DOUBLE TUBE

SHEET HEAT EXCHANGERS

3
 1 HEAT EXCHANGERS DOUBLE
DOUBLE TUBESHEET
TUBESHEET EXCHANGERS
EXCHANGERS
INTEGRAL DOUBLE TUBESHEETS

 The tube sheet are connected in a manner which:-

 Distributes axial load.
 Distributes radial thermal expansion loads .
 The interconnecting element is capable of preventing individual radial growth
of tubesheet.
 ASSUMPTIONS:
 Element is rigid enough to mutually transfer all thermal and mech. radial loads
between t/sheets.
 Tubes are rigid enough to mutually transfer all mechanical and thermal axial
loads between the tubesheets

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 1 HEAT EXCHANGERS DOUBLE
DOUBLE TUBESHEET
TUBESHEET EXCHANGERS
EXCHANGERS

CONNECTED DOUBLE TUBESHEETS

 The tube sheet are connected in a manner which :-

 Distributes axial load between tubesheets by means of cylinder.
 The effect of differential radial growth between t/s is a major factor in
tube stresses and spacing between t/sheets

 ASSUMPTION:
 Interconnecting cylinder and tubes are rigid enough to mutually transfer
all mech. and thermal axial loads between the tubesheets.

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 1 HEAT EXCHANGERS DOUBLE
DOUBLE TUBESHEET
TUBESHEET EXCHANGERS
EXCHANGERS

SEPARATE DOUBLE TUBESHEET

 The tube sheets are connected only by inter connecting tubes.

 The effect of differential radial growth between t/s is a major factor in tube
stresses and spacing between t/sheets

 ASSUMPTIONS:-
 No loads are transferred between the tubesheets.

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2

 THUMB RULES IN STREAM

ALLOCATIONS

7
 2 HEAT EXCHANGERS
THUMB
THUMB RULES
RULES IN
IN STREAM
STREAM ALLOCATION
ALLOCATION

PRACTICAL GUIDELINES – FOR OPTIMUM DESIGN

 FLUID STREAM ALLOCATIONS:-

 The higher pressure fluid normally flows through the tube side. With smaller
diameter and nominal wall thk. the tubes are better able to accept high
pressures.

 Thus larger diameter is avoided for larger pressures.

 Generally corrosive fluids are in the tubeside. This is much less expensive to
use the special alloys designed to resist corrosion for tubes than for shell.

 Flow of higher fouling fluids through the tubes are easier to clean using
common mech. methods than the shell .

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 THUMB
THUMB RULES
RULES IN
IN STREAM
STREAM ALLOCATION
ALLOCATION
2 HEAT EXCHANGERS CONTD…
CONTD…

 It is best to place fluids requiring low pressure drops in the shell circuit since
flexible combinations & configurations- affecting tube pitch, baffle use and
spacing, and multiple nozzles etc can be used when laying out the shell
circuit.

 The fluid with lower heat transfer coeff. normally goes in the shell circuit
with this setup, low-fin tubing, which will increase available surface area,can
be used to offset the low heat transfer.

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3

 INTRODUCTION

10
3 HEAT EXCHANGERS INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION

 Usually we come across inspection of straight tube and U tube Heat

Exchangers with single Tube sheet at either ends or single Tube sheet at one
end(U tube HE).

 TEMA provides option for using Double Tube sheet HE to get a better
contamination-proof joint.( ref.TEMA RCB pg.55-62)

 Such design of exchangers are popular in Pharma industries where

intermixing of shell side and tube side fluid are totally to be avoided for
process reasons.

 It would be worthwhile attempting to describe how the double tube sheet

avoids intermixing. Pl. refer the figure.

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3 HEAT EXCHANGERS INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION

HEAT EXHCHANGER DETAILS

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3 HEAT EXCHANGERS INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION

TYPICAL JOINT DOUBLE TUBESHEET

Inner T/S
Shell Outer T/S

Channel
Shell

Tubes

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 3 HEAT EXCHANGERS INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION

 GENERAL DETAILS ABOUT THE JOB INCLUDING OVERALL DIMNS. :

 HCL Hydrogenation Heater for Reliance Industries Limited ,Hazira
 PROCESS FLUID:- SHELL SIDE - HCL / TUBE SIDE - STEAM*
 U Tube Double Tube sheet HE.
 DIMENSIONS :

 Overall Length 6931 mm.

 SHELL ID 440 mm x 12 Thk, TUBESHEET – 476 OD
 MATERIAL :
 Shell / Dish end SA 516 Gr 70
 Tube sheet SA 350 Gr LF2 – 46mm & 71mm ThK
 U Tubes SA 334 Gr 6 19.05 OD x 2.77 mm thk

* SINCE THE PROCESS FLUID WAS STEAM, CUSTOMER

CONFIRMATION OF IBR WAS SOUGHT.

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4

 TUBE SHEET DETAILS

15
4 HEAT EXCHANGERS
TUBE
TUBE SHEET
SHEET DETAILS
DETAILS
 TubeSheet - SA 350 Gr LF2. X 476 dia.
 First T/s 46mm( inner) & second 71 mm ( outer).
 Each T/s having two grooves of 3mm width and 0.4mm depth.
 148 No of holes each of Dia. 19.25mm on 25.4mm traingular pitch.

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5

 TUBE TO TUBE SHEET

JOINT

17
5 HEAT EXCHANGERS
TUBE
TUBE TO
TO TUBE
TUBE SHEET
SHEET JOINT
JOINT
 Tube SA 334 Gr 6 Size 19.05mmx 2.77 mm Thk
 Fully expanded joint.
 8 to 10% expansion
 % Thinning check and air test after expansion.

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6

 TUBE SHEET TO TUBE SHEET

JOINT

19
6 HEAT EXCHANGERS
TUBE
TUBE SHEET
SHEET TO
TO TUBE
TUBE SHEET
SHEET JOINT
JOINT

 Full penetration joint with 25 mm gap in between the Tube sheets.

 NDT as per drawing – MPI
 NDT suggested – PT and UT in addition to MPI.

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7

 REQUIREMENT OF MOCK UP

21
7 HEAT EXCHANGERS
REQUIREMENT
REQUIREMENT OF
OF MOCK
MOCK UP
UP

 WHY THE MOCK UP WAS REQUIRED TO BE DONE:

( TEMA DOESN’T CALL FOR SUCH TESTS FOR U-TUBE EXCHANGERS)
 To establish expansion parameters.

 To check % thinning after expansion

 To check axial load (pull out ) of tubes after expansion.

 To check proper flow of tube material in the T/s grooves after

expansion.

 To freeze the sequence of the expansion of the T/s to Tube joint.

SINCE TUBE SHEET ASSLY HAD DOUBLE EXPN. PORTION,

IT WAS ESSENTIAL TO DEMONSTRATE THE EXPANSION
ACHIEVED IN THE INNER TUBESHEET.

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8

 MOCK UP TESTING

23
8 HEAT EXCHANGERS
MOCK
MOCK UP
UP TESTING
TESTING

 DESCRIPTION OF THE MOCKUP:-

 Tube sheets with same configuration as required in job.

 17 No of holes used.

 Pull out test carried out on Hole nos. 4,9&14 ,surrounded by at least two
rows.

 Expansion in two stages.

 % expansion checked in both Tube sheets with bore gauge.

 ADDITIONAL TESTS DONE ON THE MOCKUP:

 After satisfactory expansion, the joint with annular space was seal welded
first and then subjected to pneumatic test at 2.0 kg/cm2(g). pressure
followed by hydro test at 33.0 kg/cm2(g) and the results were leak tight.

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8.1 HEAT EXCHANGERS
DIM.
DIM. REPORT
REPORT OF
OF MOCK
MOCK UP
UP

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8.2 HEAT EXCHANGERS
EXPN.
EXPN. RECORD
RECORD OF
OF MOCK
MOCK UP
UP

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8.3 HEAT EXCHANGERS
PULL
PULL OUT
OUT RECORD
RECORD OF
OF MOCK
MOCK UP
UP

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 PULL
PULL OUT
OUT RECORD
RECORD OF
OF MOCK
MOCK UP
UP
8.4 HEAT EXCHANGERS CONTD..
CONTD..

 The pull out loads were found to be satisfactory when the tests were done :-

1. Required load - 56 kn actual 80 kn

2. Macro test was conducted after sectioning to confirm the proper flow of
tube material in the grooves after expansion, the flow of material was
satisfactory.

3. Hardness test were done on the inner expanded & unexpanded

surface of the tube and was with in 187 bhn.

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9

 PROBLEMS INCURRED

29
9.1 HEAT EXCHANGERS
PROBLEMS
PROBLEMS INCURRED
INCURRED

 REQUIREMENT OF EXTRA LONG DIAL BORE GAGE FOR THE INNER

TUBESHEET:

 In mock up stage , both ends of the tube sheets were accessible and hence it
was easy to check % expansion in both the tube sheets separately.

 In actual job, only one end was accessible. So it required a long bore gauge
to check the expansion. Since the fabricator was not having the long bore
gauge,expansion of the outer T/s was checked and reported. The same was
referred to client for concurrence and was accepted by them based on
satisfactory mock up results.

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 PROBLEMS
PROBLEMS INCURRED
INCURRED
9.1 HEAT EXCHANGERS CONTD..
CONTD..

 NDT SPECIFIED FOR THE EQPT WAS 100% RADIOGRAPHY :-

 BV insisted the above requirement for the T/S TO T/Sheet weld joint

 Due to the joint geometry, radiography could not be realised. UT was the
next suggested alternative. Again due to joint configuration /lesser width
of joint & limitation of scanning area only a small portion could be
examined leaving out the critical root penetration.

 To counter this, special care for the root pass was undertaken by keeping
3 visible ports for examining the root penetration visually. The root
penetration was found satisfactory.

 As per approved QAP only MP examination was specified for this joint and
hence accepted on this basis.

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9.2 HEAT EXCHANGERS
BV
BV INSPECTION
INSPECTION REPORT
REPORT

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9.2 BV
BV INSPECTION
INSPECTION REPORT
REPORT
HEAT EXCHANGERS CONTD..
CONTD..

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10

 CUSTOMER’S CONCURRENCE

34
10 HEAT EXCHANGERS
CUSTOMER’S
CUSTOMER’S CONCURRENCE
CONCURRENCE

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11

 CONCLUSION

36
11 HEAT EXCHANGERS
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION

 TEMA does not give too much details about such type of Double T/s HE.

 Maximum care was taken to do all possible testing and checks to

establish fool proof joint.

 Still a better version of checks and testing may be possible.

 Any additional information and experience on this topic is welcome.

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