Mechanical Design of Shell and Tube

Department of Chemical Engineering
National Institute of Technology Warangal
CH352 Process Equipment Design (Open Book)
Lecture 30: Mechanical Design of Shell and Tube

Heat Exchanger
(Reference: NPTEL Lectures)
Course Instructor: Dr. Raghu Raja Pandiyan Kuppusamy,

Department of Chemical Engineering, NIT Warangal
[email protected]
8002486897
SHELL & TUBE HEAT EXCHANGER
MECHANICAL DESIGN STANDARDS OF SHELL AND TUBE HEAT EXCHANGERS
• Mechanical design of heat exchangers includes design of various pressure and non-
pressure parts.
• The structural rigidity and satisfactory service of heat exchangers depends on the
appropriate mechanical design.
• Mechanical design is generally performed according to the design standards and codes.
• Some mechanical design standards used in heat exchanger design are: TEMA (United
States), IS:4503-1967 (India);BS: 3274 (United Kingdom) and BS: 20414 (United
Kingdom).
• Most countries of the world follow the TEMA (Tubular Exchanger Manufacturers
Association) standards for the mechanical design of unfired shell and tube heat
exchangers.
• The TEMA standards are applicable for the maximum shell ID and wall thickness of 60
and 2 inch, a maximum design pressure of 3000 psi and a maximum nominal diameter
(inch) × design pressure (psi) of 60000 lb/in, respectively
• Seven types of shells are standardized by the TEMA. The TEMA standards also specify
the types of front-end, shell, and rear-end of shell and tube exchangers
DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS
Design pressure and temperature
• Design pressure of a heat exchanger is the gauge pressure at the top of the vessel. This
pressure is used to determine the minimum wall thickness of the various pressure parts.
• The IS: 4503 species that the design pressure should at least 5% greater than the
maximum allowable working pressure. Usually a 10% higher value is used. The
maximum allowable working pressure is the gauge pressure for a specified operating
temperature that is permitted for the service of the exchanger units.
• According the IS: 4503, the shell and tube sides pressure should be specified
individually. The design pressure specification is at 250, 120 and 65ºC for carbon steel,
stainless steel and non-ferrous metals respectively.
• The maximum permissible stresses for various heat exchanger components should not
be exceeded at the allowable pressure.
• The design temperature is used to determine the minimum wall thickness of various
parts of the exchanger for a specified design pressure. It is normally 10ºC greater than
the maximum allowable temperature.
Materials of construction
• All materials used construction of shell and heat exchangers for pressure parts must
have the appropriate specification as given in IS: 4503 Appendix C.
• The materials of construction should be compatible with process fluids and others parts
of materials and also should be cost effective.
• The maximum permitted operating fluid temperatures should not exceeds for the
various pressure-retaining components as specified by IS:4503.
• High chrome-Mo-Ni alloys (Cr content 12-27%) can be used for high temperature
services up to 2100ºC. Use of any carbon or low alloy steel is not recommended for the
construction of heat exchangers for the service below 0ºC.
Design components
The major mechanical design components of shell and tube heat exchangers are: shell and tube-sheet
thickness, shell cover, flanges, nozzles, gaskets, stress calculations and design of supports
Shell diameter and thickness

• The nominal diameter (outside diameter in millimeters rounded is to the nearest integer) of the heat
exchanger is specified in IS: 2844-1964 in case of shells manufactured from flat sheet.
• The following diameters (in mm) should be preferably used in the case of cylindrical pipe shell: 159,
219, 267, 324, 368, 419, 457, 508, 558.8, 609.6, 660.4, 711.2,762, 812.8, 863.6, 914.4 and 1016.
• The minimum shell thicknesses should be decided in compliance with the nominal shell diameter
including the corrosion allowance as specified by IS: 4503.
• Usually the minimum shell thicknesses are in order for various materials for the same service:Cast
iron> Carbon steel≥ Al and Al-alloys (up to 700°C)> Cu and Cu-alloys≥ Ni≥ Austenitic stainless
steel= Monel inconel
Shell cover
• There are different types shell covers used in shell and tube heat exchangers: flat, torispherical,
hemispherical, conical and ellipsoidal.
• Out of various types of head covers, torispherical head is the most widely used in chemical
industries for operating pressure up to 200psi.
• The thickness of formed head is smaller than the flat for the same service.
• According to the IS: 4503, the minimum thickness of the shell cover should be at least equal to the
thickness of the shell.
Channel covers diameter and thickness
The outside diameter of the channel shall be the same as that of the shell. The thickness of
the channel shall be greater of the two values:
(i) shell thickness or
(ii) thickness calculated on the basis of the design shown below pressure
Pass partition plate
• IS: 4503, specifies that the minimum thickness of channel pass partition plates including corrosion
allowance should be 10 mm for both carbon steel and alloy up to channel size of 600 mm.
• For higher channel size, the same should be 13 mm carbon steel and 10 mm for alloy.
Tube sheet thickness

• Tube sheet is a circular flat plate with regular pattern drilled holes according to the tube sheet
layouts. The open end of the tubes is connected to the tube sheet.
• The tube sheet is fixed with the shell and channel to form the main barrier for shell and tube side
fluids.
• The tube sheet is attached either by welding (called integral construction) or bolting (called
gasketed construction) or a combination of both types.
Impingement plates or baffles
• Impingement plates are fixed on the tube side between the tube bundle and inlet nozzle to deflect
the liquid or vapor-liquid mixture to protect the tubes from erosion.
• According to the IS:4503, the protection against impingement may not be required for the
services involving non-corrosive, non-abrasive, single phase fluids having entrance line values of
𝜌𝑢2<125, where 𝑢 is the linear velocity of the fluid in m/s and 𝜌 is the density in g/cm3.
• In all other cases, the tube bundle at the entrance against impinging fluids should be protected.
Usually a metal plate about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick is used as the impingement plate
Nozzles and branch pipes
• The wall thickness of nozzles and other connections shall be not less than that defined for the
applicable loadings, namely, pressure temperature, bending and static loads (IS:4503).
• But in no case, the wall thickness of ferrous piping, excluding the corrosion allowance shall be
less than (0.04𝑑𝑜𝑐+ 2.5) mm, where 𝑑𝑜𝑐is the outside diameter of the connection.
Gaskets
• Gaskets are used to make the metal to metal surfaces leak-proof. Gaskets are elasto-plastic
materials and relatively softer than the flange materials.
• Deformation of gaskets under load seals the surface irregularities between metal to metal surfaces
and prevents leakage of the fluid.
• For design pressures<16 kgf/cm2 and when there is no contact with oil or oil vapor, the
compressed asbestos fiber, natural or synthetic rubber or other suitable gasket and packing
materials having the appropriate mechanical and corrosion resisting properties may be used
(IS:4503).
A preliminary
estimation of
gaskets is done
using following
expression:
Bolts design
Bolts design
Design of flange
Design of flange
Design of supports
• The selection of the type of support for a pressure vessel depends on various
parameters like the vessel elevation from the ground, materials of construction, wall
thickness, operating temperature, external loads (such as wind loads, seismic
condition etc).
• Supports for the vertical pressure vessels units are supported generally by i). skirt
supports, ii). ring supports and iii).lug supports. Whereas, the horizontal pressure
vessels are supported by i). saddle supports, ii). leg supports and iii). ring supports.
• Saddle supports are widely used in horizontal heat exchanger units.
• IS:4503 specifies that the horizontal heat exchanger units shall be provided with at
least two supporting saddles with holes for anchor bolts.
• The holes in at least one of the supports shall be elongated to provide for expansion
of the shell.
• The vertical units shall be provided with at least two supports of sufficient size to
carry the unit in a supporting structure of sufficient width to clear shell flanges

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Department of Chemical Engineering

National Institute of Technology Warangal

CH352 Process Equipment Design (Open Book)

Lecture 30: Mechanical Design of Shell and Tube

Course Instructor: Dr. Raghu Raja Pandiyan Kuppusamy,

Design pressure and temperature

Shell diameter and thickness

Tube sheet thickness

• Saddle supports are widely used in horizontal heat exchanger units.

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