Placing a U bend support 1

[leon_har_dt]

Hi all!
hope you are doing well.
I have one question, how does the U bend support are placed in the bundle?. I saw a picture showing that can be welded between rows. But can be placed in one piece? it need a bigger tube hole to allow the bend?
I'm attached a reference picture

https://tubingchina.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/U-bend-Tubes-Heat-Exchanger.jpg

I will appreciate any answer

Best Regards.

L.

 

[EdStainless]

When I have seen these used they put individual strips with the correct notch pattern between the rows as they stuffed.
At the end the individual strips are welded to the outboard strips to hold them in place.
You are relying on the tubes to reduce vibration by just being tied together.
Yes, the notches need to sized for the slightly ovaled tubes.
For the outer rows there should be no measurable ovality.
There are other ways to do this.

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P.E. Metallurgy, consulting work welcomed

 

[leon_har_dt]

Thanks for the Answer Ed C:
Yes! I saw that solution too. I was thinking in a welded "baffle" as well(laser cut this baffle and then cut between rows to place the U tubes finally weld the other on top), trying to support this baffle in the shell(because the U goes from side to side, not from up to down).
I don't know if this is the way to go, because the pictures I saw shows one piece not welded

Regards

 

[EdStainless]

Do you really need it?
What about using formed strips that are just wedged in between the rows?
These are used for fighting vibration in other areas of HX, I recall the correct name for them.

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P.E. Metallurgy, consulting work welcomed

 

[Christine74]

ExxonMobil is the licensor for Dimpled Tube Support (DTS) and Saddled Tube Support (STS) strips. As long as you have a square or rotated square tube pattern these can be installed into an existing tube bundle without having to remove any of the tubes.


-Christine

 

[SnTMan]

Interesting, I'd not heard of those, thx

The problem with sloppy work is that the supply FAR EXCEEDS the demand

 

[EdStainless]

Every retube house that I know of has there own version of these strips.
They are very common in steam condensers, but I have seen them in nearly every type of HX.

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P.E. Metallurgy, consulting work welcomed