What are the requirements for the thickness of heat exchange tubes due to tube expansion in heat exchangers?
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What are the requirements for the thickness of heat exchange tubes due to tube expansion in heat exchangers?
Generally, no specific requirement is imposed; as long as the wall thickness meets the requirements for strong welding, it is sufficient.
Personally, I think the gasketing is there merely for sealing purposes; there is also strength welding on the outside, so there’s no need to specify a certain thickness for the tube sheet. This is different from strength expansion joints, where it is necessary to specify the length of the expansion joint as well as the sealing groove
Generally, heat exchangers have low pressure and small tube diameters, so their wall thickness is thin; they are prone to bulging, hence this factor does not need to be considered.