Seeking advice on the expansion jointing of heat exchange tubes
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The book on heat exchangers states that expansion joining is divided into mechanical expansion joining and hydraulic expansion joining! But I’ve seen that some manufacturers use copper tubes with dimensions of 9.52*0.35 and 12.7*0.6 (copper pipes); for these, no grooves are made in the tube sheet holes, and glue is simply used for expansion jointing! It can also be pressure-tested to ensure no leaks; the manufacturer says there have been no leaks over the years! Some things are hard to understand – is it better than a slotted tube sheet?
This post was last edited by ylb913 on 2017-3-13 at 12:08. Red copper tubes are relatively brittle, and such thin red copper tubes are likely not suitable for expansion jointing using grooved tube sheets; in addition, it is necessary to consider the medium or temperature range for which the adhesive is suitable.
However, with the tube expansion process used in our previous company, for 7*0.35 dimensions as well, multiple grooves were used for expansion. We wonder how direct adhesive-based expansion without grooves can ensure no leaks, and how it can guarantee stability in use!
It’s the first time I’ve heard of using glue for this; I’m not sure what the results will be. The scope of application must also be greatly limited, right?
It depends on the operating conditions; the pressure and temperature there are likely not high!
The copper tube heat exchangers in the air conditioners and chillers produced by Wuxi York use glue, but the pressure levels are not high
Are you sure that copper pipes are relatively brittle? Aluminum copper’s sigh