Stainless steel heat exchanger

Product Overview

Tubular heat exchangers are widely used in the chemical and alcohol production industries. They are primarily composed of a shell, tube plates, heat exchange tubes, end caps, and baffle plates. The material required can be made from carbon steel, copper, or stainless steel. During the heat exchange process, one fluid enters through the connection pipe at the end cap, flows through the tubes, and exits through the outlet pipe at the other end of the end cap, which is known as the tube side; the other fluid enters through a connection on the shell and exits through another connection on the shell, referred to as the shell side.
 
Structural Description
Shell-and-tube heat exchangers are structurally simple, compact, and cost-effective, but they are not suitable for mechanical cleaning on the outside. The tube bundle is connected to the tube plates, which are welded to the ends of the shell. A top cover is attached to these plates, and both the cover and the shell are equipped with fluid inlets and outlets. Typically, a series of vertical baffles perpendicular to the tube bundle are installed outside. The connections between the tubes, tube plates, and the shell are rigid, and there are two different fluids of different temperatures inside and outside the tubes. Therefore, when there is a significant temperature difference between the tube wall and the shell wall, due to the different thermal expansions of the two, a large temperature difference stress is generated, which can cause the tubes to twist, bend, or even become loose from the tube plates, potentially damaging the heat exchanger.
To overcome thermal stress due to temperature differences, a temperature compensation device is necessary. Generally, when the temperature difference between the tube wall and the shell wall exceeds 50℃, for safety reasons, the heat exchanger should be equipped with a temperature compensation device. However, the compensation device (expansion joint) can only be used when the temperature difference between the shell wall and the tube wall is below 60~70℃ and the shell fluid pressure is not high. Typically, when the shell pressure exceeds 0.6 Mpa, due to the thick compensation rings, it is difficult to expand or contract, and the temperature compensation effect is lost, alternative structures should be considered.