Issues regarding the fabrication of spacing tubes for heat exchanger tube bundles
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Are the spacers in a normal heat exchanger tube bundle movable?； If the spacing tubes move, could the heat exchanger experience vibrations during operation, causing these tubes to strike the tube bundle and leading to corrosion and thinning of the tube bundle?
The spacing tube of the new heat exchanger we received is movable – the tube can rotate freely around the ribs; this must be a quality issue in the manufacturing process
The movement of the spacing tube is normal; it is placed outside the tie rod and its main function is to determine the axial position of the baffle. The spacing tube is not welded to the baffle or the tie rod, and it can rotate. Generally, the spacing tube does not come into contact with the heat exchange tubes.
The spacers should not move after being tightened with nuts at their ends; their purpose is to maintain the proper spacing between the baffle plates. If the spacers are not tight and move, collisions between the tie rods, baffle plates, and spacers can occur during operation of the heat exchanger, generating noise. Such collisions can also wear out the tie rods, baffle plates, and spacers, and over time this can pose a risk. Additionally, the debris resulting from these collisions can contaminate media that require a clean environment. According to the tolerance requirements for the length of the spacing tube specified in GB151, this situation may be caused by a loose nut, or it could be due to the spacing tube having excessive tolerances.
The spacers cannot move, as uneven lengths of these spacers cause the shorter ends to not be pressed firmly in place and thus to move. In the manufacturing of heat exchangers, the movement of liquids or gases inside can cause the loose parts to vibrate; such vibrations caused by eddies can be very intense, eventually leading to damage. This is why we specify tolerances for the machined parts used in heat exchanger production.
The deviation in the length direction of the spacing tube is 0.0, with a downward deviation of -1.0 mm