Yet another is it a pressure vessel question 6

[BornTrucker]

I'm going to be using a heat exchanger that will consist of a 24" pipe with multiple passes of 2" pipe inside, mounted through a blind flange on the end. Both ends will have blind flanges for cleanout and maintenance. I'll be using hot oil in the tubes and bitumen in the shell side. Pressure will be over 15 PSI on both shell and tube sides. Is this non-traditional jacketed pipe governed by B31.3 or a Section 8 Div 1 vessel?

 

[TGS4]

Do you have a drawing to show what this looks like?

 

[BornTrucker]

 

[MJCronin]

You are kind of between two different sets of rules ...

How big is it ? .... Can you calculate a volume for each side of the HX ?

Will you be testing it ? .... What are your OPERATING temperatures and pressures ?

MJCronin
Sr. Process Engineer

 

[TGS4]

In the end, it might come down to what your jurisdiction says it is.

My $0.02 is that it looks like a pressure vessel.

 

[BornTrucker]

The shell side is 24" pipe, the tube side is 2" pipe, overall length 20 feet. Pressures are relatively low, less than 100 psi and temperatures are 300-500°F range.

 

[SnTMan]

I'm voting pressure vessel.

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

 

[LittleInch]

This looks like a pressure vessel, smells like a PV and is not a jacketed pipe.

If nothing else, those penetrations though the blind flange are outside of ASME B 16.5, so you need to analyse them to ASME VIII so just go the whole hog.

When I've suggested using pipe as a closed end storage vessel I've been shot down and told it's not a pipe anymore, so this is definitely not a pipe. IMHO.

Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.

 

[BornTrucker]

Thank you all for your input, I'll continue monitoring responses. So far that's 3 pressure vessels and 0 pieces of pipe so this seems fairly cut and dry.

 

[chicopee]

If there is a metal plate indicating manufacturer, MAWT/MAWP, heating surface, fabrication year,and thicknesses, there should be some information as to which code it was built.

 

[BornTrucker]

It hasn't been built yet, the question is does it require an ASME U stamp.

 

[iangineer]

Exchanging heat like that makes me consider it a Shell & Tube pressure vessel and I would treat it as such. I would require a U stamp. We have a lot of exchangers and other pressure vessels in my plant that are made out of pipe, but they are U stamped. The tube-side design is odd since it doesn't look like a typical TEMA front head.

 

Will the shell side bitumen get along with the tube fins?

"Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts."

 

[EdStainless]

Start up and shut down could be very interesting with the fins.
I am concerned about long term fouling.
And what if long term ends up being only days?

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
P.E. Metallurgy, consulting work welcomed

 

[BornTrucker]

I've used these fins in other bitumen applications without issue so I'm not concerned about fouling assuming they are operated as designed (no air in exchanger while heat is on). Startup and cool down gets sticky but again, that's just an operational task to not damage the coils and thermal oil.