How is the service life of heat exchanger tube bundles specified?
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This post was last edited by WallaceLee on 2023-1-31 20:30. As the title suggests, how is the service life of heat exchanger tubes determined? Which standard and which clause mentions it? Additional note: The Sinopec standard \"General Technical Specifications for Static Equipment\" mentions regulations regarding the service life of tube bundles, but I would like to know whether there are any such regulations in general national or industry standards
The service life of the heat exchanger can be used as a reference
The service life of heat exchange tubes is generally not taken into consideration; if there is a leak, the tube is sealed, and if the leakage is severe, the tube bundle is replaced. The standards also do not require corrosion allowance to be considered for the heat exchange tubes.
The design life of the tube bundle is generally not specified; heat exchangers, on the other hand, usually indicate their service life, but this does not include the tube bundle. Factors such as temperature, pressure, erosion, and corrosion can cause localized leaks in the tubes, and this can only be determined based on actual usage conditions.
To ensure efficient heat transfer, heat exchange tubes generally do not have any corrosion allowance; as a result, in actual use the lifespan of the tube bundle is much shorter than that of the shell； If it is truly necessary to determine the service life of the tubes, it can only be decided by the designer themselves.
To ensure efficient heat transfer, heat exchange tubes generally do not have any corrosion allowance; as a result, in actual use the lifespan of the tube bundle is much shorter than that of the shell； If it is truly necessary to determine the service life of the tubes, it can only be decided by the designer themselves.
The Sinopec standard \"General Technical Specifications for Static Equipment\" mentions regulations regarding the service life of tube bundles, but I would like to know whether there are any such regulations in general national standards or industry standards
The Sinopec standard \"General Technical Specifications for Static Equipment\" mentions regulations regarding the service life of tube bundles, but I would like to know whether there are any such regulations in general national standards or industry standards
Carbon steel typically lasts 3 years, while stainless steel usually lasts 10 years
Thank you for your reply. Is there any regulation regarding this in national standards or industry standards?
There are no specific regulations regarding this issue, but it can be analyzed as follows: An estimation can be made based on the service life of the shell and its corrosion margin. For example, if the corrosion margin of the shell is 3 mm and its service life is 10 years, then the annual corrosion rate is 0.3 mm. If the operation cycle is 3 years, then the corrosion amount will be less than 1 mm. With a thickness of 2 mm for the heat exchanger, and a strength and stability requirement of 1 mm, it is possible to ensure 3 years of service life. A 3-year construction cycle is already not short, and a 10-year lifespan for the casing is not long either.