New Technology to Solve Vibration and Fabrication Problems in U-Tube Bundles

The tube damage caused by flow-induced vibration in various shell-and-tube heat exchangers continues to be a persistent problem despite the availability of numerous devices in the marketplace. Furthermore, the U-bend regions of tube bundles remain specially vulnerable to vibration problems. Failure of a single tube within a bundle could lead to substantial disruptions thereby causing expenses of up to millions of dollars per day for operating plants. While the existing devices have shown some success in mitigating vibration in straight-tube portions, they lack a robust locking arrangement to ensure positional integrity, especially, in the U-bend region of U-tube bundles.

A patented new technology called Corrugated Tube Support (CTS), having specially designed protrusions, successfully addresses all of the usual vibration problems. It also accompanies a specialized positioning tool so that precise installation is guaranteed every time. The CTS Technology also lends itself to another patent-pending device that is ideally suited to support and stiffen tubes in the U-bend regions. This technology also helps simplify fabrication of U-tube bundles by avoiding the need to use a “Tie Plate,” which involves a cumbersome and expensive manufacturing step. The CTS Technology, representing a peace-of-mind solution to all vibration problems, is exclusively designed, fabricated and installed by Gulf Coast Exchanger, LLC (GCE) in Beaumont, Texas.

This paper will forcus on the extension of the CTS technology to solve vibration problems for U-tube bundles.