Forged Carbon Steel Tube Sheet Specific Material

Forged carbon steel tube sheets are typically made from carbon steel materials such as ASTM A105 tube sheets or ASTM A350 LF2 tube sheets. Carbon steel is chosen for its high strength and excellent machinability, making it suitable for high-temperature and high-pressure environments.

 

Forged Carbon Steel Tube Sheet Production Standards

The production of forged carbon steel tube sheets typically complies with relevant standards such as ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) or international standards. These standards ensure product quality and performance, including material strength, dimensional accuracy, and weldability.

 

Forged Carbon Steel Tube Sheet Dimensions

The dimensions of forged carbon steel tube sheets depend on specific design and application requirements. Typically, the diameter and layout of tube holes, plate thickness, and overall dimensions vary based on the specifications and functions of the equipment.

 

 

 

Forged carbon steel tube sheets are commonly used in the following applications

1.Heat Exchangers: A heat exchanger is an equipment that utilizes the heat transfer of fluid inside the pipe for energy conversion. Carbon steel tube sheets are often used as materials for pipes and heat exchanger bundles in heat exchangers, with high corrosion resistance and pressure bearing capacity.

 

2.Boilers: Carbon steel tube sheet is also one of the most important materials in the manufacturing of boilers, and is generally used for the tubes and some structural components of boilers. Due to its excellent mechanical properties, strength, and high corrosion resistance, carbon steel tubesheets can ensure the safe operation of boilers.

 

3.Chemical Industry: In petrochemical equipment, carbon steel tube plates are often used as materials for catalyst tubes, distillation towers, reactors, and other devices. Due to its excellent corrosion resistance and reliable pressure bearing capacity, carbon steel tube plates ensure the safety of petrochemical equipment.

 

 

 

 

Forged Carbon Steel Tube Sheet Advantages

1. High Strength: Carbon steel offers excellent strength, enabling it to withstand high-temperature and high-pressure conditions.

2. Excellent Machinability: Carbon steel is easy to forge, cut, and weld, making it suitable for various complex-shaped tube sheets.

3. High-Temperature Resistance: Carbon steel tube sheets are well-suited for high-temperature environments, making them ideal for use in boilers and heat exchangers.

4. Corrosion Resistance: While susceptible to corrosion, carbon steel tube sheets can still be used in corrosive environments with proper coatings and protection.

 

 

Forged Carbon Steel Tube Sheet Processing Steps

1. Raw Material Preparation: Select suitable-quality carbon steel billets.

2. Forging: Heat the billets to the appropriate temperature and shape them through forging processes, using hammering or pressure to achieve the desired shape.

3. Machining and Hole Drilling: Cut and drill tube holes, ensuring accurate dimensions and hole positions.

4. Inspection and Quality Control: Conduct non-destructive and destructive testing to ensure that the tube sheet meets specifications and standards.

5.  Surface Treatment: Surface treatments, such as corrosion-resistant coatings, may be applied to enhance corrosion resistance.

 

Wuxi changrun has equipped facilities for manufacturing. Now it has five forging machines, one of which is forging machine whose capacity reaches 3600-ton, one is numerical control ring roll whose capacity reaches 6300 mm (Diameter), one is 1.5 ton hammers and the other two are 1-ton air hammers. There are 7 gas generators used for forge heating, 16 industrial resistance furnaces for heat treatment and more than 80 metal processing equipment among which there is a numeric control Standing Lathe whose processing diameter can reach 5meters. The company has an annual production capacity of 50,000 tons of middle and high-pressure flanges and various steel forgings for boilers and pressure vessels. The maximum pressure of manufactured flanges can reach 2500Lb, the maximum diameter can reach about 6 meters and the maximum weight of unit forging can reach 30 tons.

 

 

 

Conclusion

Forged carbon steel tube sheets play a crucial role in heat exchange and heating equipment, offering strength and high-temperature resistance. Their manufacturing requires precise craftsmanship and quality assurance to ensure equipment safety and reliability.

 

Wuxi Changrun has provided high-quality tube sheets, nozzles, flanges, and customized forgings for heat exchangers, boilers, pressure vessels, etc. to many well-known petrochemical enterprises at home and abroad. Our customers include PetroChina, Sinopec, Chevron, Bayer, Shell, BASF, etc. Send your drawings to sales@wuxichangrun.com We will provide you with the best quotation and the highest quality products.

 

 

What is double tube sheet?

A double tube sheet is a design feature commonly used in shell-and-tube heat exchangers and other similar equipment. In a shell-and-tube heat exchanger, there are two main components: the shell, which is a large outer vessel, and the tubes, which are smaller tubes that run through the shell. The double tube sheet design involves having two separate tube sheets within the shell.

 

 

Double tube sheet heat exchangers are generally used in the following two situations:

One is to absolutely prevent the mixing of media between the shell and tube sides. For example, for heat exchangers with water passing through the shell side or chlorine gas or chloride passing through the tube side, if the water in the shell side comes into contact with chlorine gas or chloride in the tube side, it will produce highly corrosive hydrochloric acid or hypochlorous acid, which will cause serious corrosion to the material in the tube side. Adopting a double tube sheet structure can effectively prevent the mixing of two materials, thereby preventing the occurrence of the above-mentioned accidents;

 

Another scenario is when there is a large pressure difference between the medium on the tube and shell side. In this case, a medium is usually added to the cavity between the inner and outer tube sheets to reduce the pressure difference between the medium on the tube and shell side. This series of heat exchangers adopts a double tube plate structure design, which connects the tube side and shell side with their respective tube sheets, breaking the traditional practice of using the same connecting tube plate for both the tube side and shell side of a row tube heat exchanger. This minimizes the risk of cross contamination, facilitates timely detection of leakage hazards, and ensures safe production for users.

 

 

How double tube sheet works?

1. Inner Tube Sheet: The first tube sheet is located inside the shell and is usually closer to one end. The tubes are attached to this inner tube sheet, and they pass through it to the other end of the shell.

 

2. Baffle Space: Between the inner tube sheet and the other end of the shell, there is a space that contains baffles. Baffles are plates or other structures designed to direct the flow of the fluid inside the shell and promote efficient heat transfer.

 

3. Outer Tube Sheet: The second tube sheet is located at the other end of the shell. The tubes are also attached to this outer tube sheet.

 

 

Whats the double tube sheet design advantages?

1. Prevents Cross-Contamination: Because there are two tube sheets, there is a space (the baffle space) between them. This helps to prevent cross-contamination between the two fluids flowing through the tubes, especially when they have different properties.

 

2. Enhanced Safety: In applications where one fluid is hazardous or toxic, the double tube sheet design provides an extra layer of safety by reducing the risk of leaks.

 

3. Reduced Risk of Thermal Expansion Issues: The double tube sheet design helps accommodate thermal expansion differences between the tubes and the shell. This is important to avoid problems that may arise from temperature-induced expansion and contraction.

 

4. Easier Inspection: The space between the tube sheets allows for easier inspection of the tubes and facilitates maintenance activities.

 

 

In summary, a double tube sheet design is a configuration used to enhance the safety, efficiency, and ease of maintenance in certain types of heat exchangers, particularly those dealing with potentially hazardous fluids.

 

Wuxi Changrun has provided high-quality tube sheets, nozzles, flanges, and customized forgings for heat exchangers, boilers, pressure vessels, etc. to many well-known petrochemical enterprises at home and abroad. Our customers include PetroChina, Sinopec, Chevron, Bayer, Shell, BASF, etc. Send your drawings to sales@wuxichangrun.com We will provide you with the best quotation and the highest quality products.

 

 

Shell and tube heat exchangers account for approximately 90% of the total amount of heat exchangers used in industry, making them the most widely used type of heat exchanger.

 

The typical structural forms of shell and tube heat exchangers include fixed tube sheet heat exchangers, U tube heat exchangers, floating head heat exchangers, stuffing box heat exchanger, kettle reboilers, double tube sheet heat exchangers, brace tube sheet heat exchangers, flexible tube sheet heat exchangers, and Spiral Wounded Heat Exchangers.

 

1. Fixed tube sheet heat exchanger

The fixed tube sheet heat exchanger (Figure 1) is a fixed connection (integral or clamped) between the two end tube sheets and the shell.

This is the most widely used type of heat exchanger. The two ends of the heat exchange tube are fixed on the tube sheet, which is welded to the shell.

 

Fixed tube sheet heat exchangers are suitable for various occasions:

1)In situations where the temperature difference between the metal on the tube and shell side is not very large and the pressure is high. When the temperature difference between the metal on the tube and shell side is large, the pressure cannot be too high because the large temperature difference will inevitably increase the expansion joint, which has poor pressure resistance.

2) Due to the inability of the shell side to be mechanically cleaned, it is required that the shell side medium be clean; Or in situations where scaling may occur but can be removed through chemical cleaning.

 

Advantages:

1) It has a simple structure, less use of forgings, and low manufacturing cost.

2) The tube side can be divided into various forms of multiple passes, and the shell side can also be divided into two passes.

3) The heat transfer area is 20% to 30% larger than that of a floating head heat exchanger.

4) The bypass leakage is relatively small.

 

Disadvantages:

1) Not suitable for situations where there is a significant difference in thermal expansion deformation between heat exchange tubes and shell side cylinders, as temperature difference stress can easily occur between the tube sheet and tube end, leading to damage.

2) After the corrosion of the pipe, it leads to the scrapping of the shell, and the lifespan of the shell components is determined by the lifespan of the pipe, so the equipment lifespan is relatively low.

3) The shell cannot be cleaned and inspection is difficult.

 

 

2. U-shaped tube heat exchanger

The U-shaped tube heat exchanger (Figure 2) is a heat exchange tube with two ends fixed on the same tube plate, which is fixedly connected to the shell (integral or clamped).

 

U-shaped tube heat exchangers can be used in the following situations

1) The flow in the pipeline is clean fluid.

2) The pressure in the pipeline is particularly high.

3) In situations where there is a large temperature difference between the metal on the tube and shell sides, and fixed tube plate heat exchangers cannot even meet the requirements with expansion joints.

 

Advantages:

1) The free floating at the end of the U-shaped heat exchange tube solves the temperature difference stress and can be used for two media with large temperature differences. The temperature difference between the metal on the tube and shell side is not limited.

2) The tube bundle can be pulled out to facilitate frequent cleaning of the outer wall of the heat exchange tube.

3) With only one tube plate and a small number of flanges, the structure is simple and there are few leakage points, resulting in a lower cost.

4) It can work under high temperature and high pressure, and is generally suitable for t ≤ 500 ℃ and p ≤ 10MPa.

5) Can be used in situations where shell side scaling is relatively severe.

 

Disadvantages:

1) When the flow rate in the pipe is too high, it will cause serious erosion on the U-shaped bend section, affecting its service life. Especially for pipes with low R, the flow rate inside the pipe should be controlled.

2) The pipeline is not suitable for situations with heavy scaling.

3) Due to the limitation of u-tube Rmim and wide separation distance, the number of tubes in the fixed tube sheet heat exchanger is slightly less.

4) When the heat exchange tube leaks, except for the outer U-shaped tube, it cannot be replaced and can only be blocked.

5) The central part of the tube bundle has large pores, and the fluid is prone to short circuits, which affects the heat transfer effect. Therefore, partitions should be added to reduce short circuits.

6) Due to the large dead zone, it is only suitable for the inner guide tube.

7) The number of heat exchange tubes arranged on the tube plate is relatively small.

8) The U-shaped bending section of the outermost pipe, due to its large unsupported span, should cause fluid induced vibration problems.

9) When there are requirements for stress corrosion, careful consideration should be given.

 

 

3. Floating head heat exchanger

The floating head heat exchanger (Figure 3) is a clamped type where one end of the tube sheet is fixedly connected to the shell, while the other end of the floating head tube sheet (including the floating head cover, backing device, etc.) floats freely inside the tube box. Therefore, there is no need to consider temperature difference stress, as there is a large temperature difference between the metal walls of the tube and shell sides.

 

Advantages:

1) The tube bundle can be pulled out for easy cleaning of the tube and shell side.

2) The shell wall and tube wall are not limited by temperature difference.

3) It can work under high temperature and high pressure, generally t ≤ 450 ℃ and p ≤ 6.4MPa.

4) Can be used in situations with severe scaling.

5) Can be used in pipeline corrosion scenarios.

 

 Disadvantages:

1) It is difficult to take measures when leakage occurs during the operation of the floating head sealing surface inside the shell side medium.

2) Complex structure, high metal material consumption, and high cost.

3) The floating head structure is complex and affects the number of pipes arranged.

4) The pressure test fixture used during pressure testing is complex.

5) Metal materials consume a large amount and have a 20% higher cost.

 

 

stuffing box heat exchanger

One end of the tube sheet is fixedly connected to the shell (clamp type), while the other end of the tube sheet floats freely inside the packing box.

 

The tube bundle can be extended and can be used for two media with a large temperature difference. The structure is also simpler than that of a floating head, making it easier to manufacture and more cost-effective than a floating head heat exchanger. Because the tube bundle can be pulled out, it is easy to maintain and clean. Suitable for use in media with severe corrosion.

 

4.1 Outside packed heat exchanger (Figure 4)

Suitable for equipment with a diameter below DN700mm, and the operating pressure and temperature should not be too high. It is generally used in situations where p ≤ 2.0MPa.

 

4.2 Sliding tube sheet packing box heat exchanger

At the sealing point on the inner side of the packing, there will still be a flow phenomenon etween the medium on the tube and shell side, which is not suitable for situations where the medium on the tube and shell side is not allowed to mix.

 

4.2.1 Single stuffing box heat exchanger (Figure 5)

At the sealing point on the inner side of the packing, there will still be a flow phenomenon between the medium on the tube and shell side, which is not suitable for situations where the medium on the tube and shell side is not allowed to mix.

 

4.2.2 Double stuffing box heat exchanger (Figure 6)

The structure is mainly sealed with the inner ring to prevent internal and external leakage, while the outer ring is used as an auxiliary seal to prevent external leakage. A leakage outlet pipe is set between the inner and outer sealing rings to connect with the low-pressure vent main. This structure can be used for medium with moderate harm, explosive and other media.

 

 

5. Kettle reboiler 

The kettle reboiler (Figure 7) is a fixed connection (clamp type) between one end of the tube sheet and the shell, and the other end is a U-shaped or floating head tube bundle. The shell side is a single (or double) inclined cone shell with evaporation space, so the temperature and pressure on the tube side are higher than those on the shell side. Generally, the shell side medium is heated by the tube side medium. P ≤ 6.4 MPa.

Advantages:

1) Suitable for bottom reboilers and side line siphon reboilers.

2) Save over 25% of equipment weight.

3) Good corrosion resistance.

4) It has a self-cleaning effect. In situations where there is a large temperature difference between the tube and shell side.

5) The total heat transfer coefficient has increased by more than 40%.

6) In situations with high vaporization rates (30-80%).

7) In situations where the liquid phase of the reboiled process medium is used as a product or requires high separation requirements.

8) Good corrosion resistance.

 

Disadvantages:

1) On heavy oil equipment, such as residual oil and crude oil equipment, there is no application history.

2) Not suitable for environments with wet hydrogen sulfide.

 

 

6.Double tube sheet heat exchanger

The double tube sheet heat exchanger (Figure 8) has two tube sheets on each side, and one end of the heat exchange tube is connected to both tube sheets simultaneously. Mainly used for mixing the medium between the tube side and shell side, which will result in serious consequences. But manufacturing is difficult; High design requirements.

 

1) Corrosion prevention: Mixing the two media of the tube side and shell side can cause severe corrosion.

2) Labor protection: One route is a highly toxic medium, and infiltration into the other route can cause extensive system pollution.

3) In terms of safety, mixing the medium on the tube side and shell side can cause combustion or explosion.

4) Equipment contamination: Mixing of tube side and shell side media can cause polymerization or the formation of resin like substances.

5) Catalyst poisoning: The addition of another medium can cause changes in catalyst performance or chemical reactions.

6) Reduction reaction: When the medium on the tube side and shell side is mixed, it causes the chemical reaction to terminate or limit.

7) Product impurity: When the medium in the tube and shell is mixed, it can cause product contamination or a decrease in product quality.

 

6.1 Double tube sheet fixed tube sheet heat exchanger (Figure 9)

6.2 Double tube plate U-tube heat exchanger (Figure 10)

6.3 Double tube U-tube kettle reboiler (Figure 11)

 

 

7.Pulling tube sheet heat exchanger

The pull-up tube sheet heat exchanger (Figure 12) has a thinner tube plate thickness, usually between 12 and 18mm.

 

7.1 The structural types include:

(1) Face to face (Germany): The tube sheet is welded onto the sealing surface of the equipment flange (Figure 12a).

(2) Inlaid type (former Soviet Union) ГОСТ Standard): The tube sheet is welded to the flat surface of the equipment flange sealing surface (Figure 12b).

(3) Corner welding (formerly developed by Shanghai Pharmaceutical Design Institute): The tube sheet is welded to the shell (Figure 12c).

 

7.2 Scope of application:

1) Design pressure: The tube side and shell side shall not exceed 1.0 MPa respectively;

2) Temperature range: The design temperature range for the tube side and shell side is from 0 ℃ to 300 ℃; The average wall temperature difference between the heat exchange tube and the shell shall not exceed 30 ℃;

3) Diameter range: The inner diameter of the shell shall not exceed 1200mm;

4) Heat exchange tube length: not exceeding 6000mm.

5) Heat exchange tubes should be made of light tubes and have a linear expansion coefficient close to that of the shell material (the difference in values between the two should not exceed 10%).

7.3. Expansion joints should not be installed.

 

 

8. Flexible tube sheet heat exchanger

Suitable for horizontal shell and tube residual (waste) heat boilers with gas as the medium on the tube side and saturated water vapor generated on the shell side.

The connection between Type I tube sheet and shell (channel) (see Figure 13a) and the connection between Type II tube sheet and shell (channel) (see Figure 13b).

 

Applicable scope:

1) The design pressure of the tube side shall not exceed 1.0 MPa, the design pressure of the shell side shall not exceed 5.0 MPa, and the shell side pressure shall be greater than the tube side pressure;

(1) Type I is used for pipe design pressure less than or equal to 0.6MPa;

(2) Type II is used for piping design pressures less than or equal to 1.0 MPa.

2) The diameter of the shell and the length of the heat exchange tube are 2500mm and 7000mm, respectively.

 

 

9. Efficient spiral wounded tube heat exchanger

In order to save equipment investment, the maximum heat transfer area of heat exchange tubes is arranged within the limited shell volume of the heat exchanger, and the heat transfer efficiency is improved. Therefore, the shell and tube wound tube heat exchanger (Figure 16) has emerged. This type of heat exchanger is a multi-layer multi head stainless steel small diameter heat exchange tube wound and welded on the core rod, as shown in Figure 16.

 

10. Austenitic stainless steel corrugated heat exchanger

1) Applicable scope:

(1) The design pressure shall not exceed 4.0MPa;

(2) The design temperature shall not exceed 300 ℃;

(3) The nominal diameter shall not exceed 2000mm;

(4) The nominal diameter shall not exceed 4000 times the product of the design pressure.

2) Inappropriate occasions

(1) Media with extreme or highly hazardous toxicity;

(2) Explosive media;

(3) In situations where there is a tendency towards stress corrosion.

 

 

Wuxi Changrun has provided high-quality tube sheets, nozzles, flanges, and customized forgings for heat exchangers, boilers, pressure vessels, etc. to many well-known petrochemical enterprises at home and abroad. Our customers include PetroChina, Sinopec, Chevron, Bayer, Shell, BASF, etc. Send your drawings to sales@wuxichangrun.com We will provide you with the best quotation and the highest quality products.

Forging ratio is an indicator used to indicate the degree of metal deformation during the forging process, usually defined as the ratio of the cross-sectional area of the metal before and after forging.

 

The calculation method for forging ratio can be the elongation forging ratio or the upsetting forging ratio. The elongation forging ratio refers to the ratio of the cross-sectional area of the steel ingot or billet before elongation to the cross-sectional area after elongation. The upsetting forging ratio, also known as the upsetting ratio or compression ratio, refers to the ratio of the cross-sectional area of the steel ingot or billet after upsetting to the cross-sectional area before upsetting. The selection of forging ratio is crucial for ensuring the quality and performance of forgings, and factors such as different metal materials, forging performance requirements, process types, and the shape and size of forgings need to be considered. For example, alloy structural steel ingots typically require a larger forging ratio, while electroslag steel ingots have better quality and require a smaller forging ratio.

 

The size of the forging ratio directly affects the mechanical properties and forging quality of the metal. Increasing the forging ratio is beneficial for improving the structure and properties of the metal, but excessive forging ratios may also lead to unnecessary waste and increased workload. Therefore, while ensuring the quality of forgings, it is advisable to choose a smaller forging ratio as much as possible.

 

 

1. Basic definition of forging ratio

The ratio of the cross-sectional area of a metal billet before and after forging is called the forging ratio. It represents the magnitude of forging deformation, and the forging ratio can be calculated using the following formula:

 

 

2. Calculation methods of forging ratio

Note:

(1) The forging ratio of chamfered steel ingots is not included in the total forging ratio;

(2) When continuously elongating or upsetting, the total forging ratio is equal to the product of the sub forging ratios;

(3) When there is elongation between two upsets and when there is elongation between two upsets, the total forging ratio is equal to the sum of the two sub forging ratios, and it is required that each sub forging ratio is not less than 2.

 

 

About us:

Wuxi Changrun has provided high-quality tube sheets, nozzles, flanges, and customized forgings for heat exchangers, boilers, pressure vessels, etc. to many well-known petrochemical enterprises at home and abroad. Our customers include PetroChina, Sinopec, Chevron, Bayer, Shell, BASF, etc. Send your drawings to sales@wuxichangrun.com We will provide you with the best quotation and the highest quality products.

 

 

Our company has 27 international and domestic first-class brand drilling equipment that have been put into use, including 11 deep hole drills. We have advantages such as large processing specifications (maximum diameter of 8.6m), batch production, mature process plans, and standardized quality control. The processed tube sheet products are widely used in industries such as seawater desalination, heat exchangers, pressure vessels, paper machines, petroleum refining, steam turbines, and nuclear power.