For shell-and-tube heat exchangers, is the water flow in the shell side considered a pressure vessel?
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A shell-and-tube heat exchanger, with water flowing in the shell side at a temperature below the boiling point; it does not qualify as a pressure vessel. The tube bank has air leakage, the heat exchange tubes have a small diameter, and it is not considered a pressure vessel either. Does that mean supervision and inspection are no longer needed?
Heat exchangers are considered pressure vessels, and to be classified as such they must meet all three requirements applicable to pressure vessels. If the piping system is leaky, it may be considered a pressure vessel if the pressure is high enough; however, if its volume is less than 30 liters, it is not considered a pressure vessel. It is advisable to design it in accordance with the requirements for pressure vessels, but it is not subject to the regulations applicable to pressure vessels.
It can be designed as a pressure vessel, but there is no need to apply for pressure vessel regulation
If the tube sheet container is larger than 30L, but the diameter of the heat exchange tubes is generally quite small, less than 150mm, is inspection then also not required?
If the tube sheet container is larger than 30L, but the diameter of the heat exchange tubes is generally quite small, less than 150mm, is it also not within the scope of inspection? The design will definitely be carried out in accordance with pressure vessel standards.
Yes, a shell-and-tube heat exchanger with water flowing in the shell side and at a temperature below the boiling point does not qualify as a pressure vessel. The tube bank has air leakage, the heat exchange tubes have a small diameter, and it is not considered a pressure vessel either. Therefore, no supervision inspection is required. .
It is the box diameter and volume that matter, not the heat exchange tube diameter and volume