Abstract
Heat exchanger tube bundles may fail due to excessive vibration or noise. The main failure mechanisms are generated by the shellside fluid that passes around and between the tubes. This fluid may be a liquid, gas or multi-phase mixture. The most severe vibration mechanism is a fluidelastic instability, which may cause tube damage after only a few hours of operation. Clearly, such extreme causes of vibration must always be avoided. In contrast buffeting due to flow-turbulence causes very little vibration. However, after many years of service such remorseless low level vibration will produce tube wall thinning, due to fretting, which may be unacceptable in a high-integrity heat exchanger. Consequently, the issues of life cycle and integrity must frequently be included in heat exchanger specification. This paper reviews the various mechanisms that cause vibration and noise. Particular attention is given to methods for achieving good tube support arrangements that minimize vibration damage. References to the most recent sources of data are given and good working practice for the design and operation of standard and high-integrity heat exchangers is discussed.
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