Heat exchanger

Advantages and disadvantages of floating-head heat exchangers: Advantages: (1) The tube bundle can be removed to facilitate cleaning of the tubes, as well as the shell side； (2) The temperature difference between media is unrestricted ； (3) It can operate under high temperature and high pressure, with typical temperatures of up to 450 degrees and pressures of up to 64 megapascals ； (4) Can be used in situations with severe scaling ； (5) It can be used in situations where the pipe side is prone to corrosion. Disadvantages: (1) Small floating heads are prone to internal leakage ； (2) High consumption of metal materials and 20% higher costs ； (3) Complex structure

Compared to floating-head heat exchangers, U-tube heat exchangers are less convenient for cleaning the tubeside area of scale, but they can operate at higher pressures than the latter...

Currently, U-tube heat exchangers are widely used in high-temperature and high-pressure applications. Compared to floating-head heat exchangers, U-tube heat exchangers are less prone to internal leakage due to the absence of floating-head seals; and even if internal leakage occurs, it is very easy to address, especially since no complex tools are required to locate the leak site ； On the other hand, floating-head heat exchangers require a large number of specialized tools for detecting internal leaks, making the operation rather complicated

When there is an internal leak in the tube bundle of a U-tube heat exchanger, there are generally two possibilities: one is that the heat exchange tubes are damaged； Another type is corrosion of the tube sheet joint weld. The first scenario rarely occurs; when it does, it can be blocked with a plug ； The second scenario is more common; in such cases, the weld can be cleaned and rewelded. The stress condition under operation is favorable, especially when there is a large temperature difference across the tubes; since the temperatures in each tube bank differ, the thermal stress experienced by the heat exchange tubes in individual tube banks can be balanced freely, without being constrained by the floating tube sheet, which helps to protect the heat exchange tubes. It offers greater operational flexibility during use; compared to floating-head heat exchangers of similar specifications, U-tube heat exchangers can withstand greater temperature and pressure fluctuations, which contributes to the stable operation of the equipment.

Both the shell and tube sides of floating-head heat exchangers can be cleaned, while it is difficult to clean the tube side of U-tube heat exchangers.