RB1-2 Tube Vibration Tests in Industrial-Sized Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchangers
The Flow-Induced Vibration Laboratories at the Argonne National Laboratory have been conducting tube vibration tests on an industrial-sized shell-and-tube heat exchanger for the Department of Energy. HTRI has acted as a consultant in selecting the configurations of the test exchanger and in evaluating the experimental data. This Research Brief describes the results of the test program for the initial two bundle geometries. The first was a full bundle with segmental baffles equally spaced to make eight crosspasses. The second had the tubes removed from the baffle windows to make an eight crosspass no-tubes-in-window bundle. Flow-induced tube vibration was experienced in the first bundle, but not in the second even at velocities much higher than would be used for prudent heat exchanger designs with water flowing on the shell side.