4.2 SHELL-AND-TUBE EXCHANGERS: CONSTRUCTION
6-l 1
circumferential welding in the convolution itself. Thick-
ness is usually in the range 4 to 13 mm, with a convolu-
tion depth of 100 to 150 mm, but because of its stiff-
ness the movement of one convolution is limited to
about 2 to 5 mm. Larger movements can be accommo-
dated by adding more convolutions, but the cost will
then be higher than the thin-wall type. Its chief advan-
tage is that the rugged construction allows the complete
exchanger to be handled easily without the need for
bellows protection or restraining bars.
The thin-wall bellows, shown in Fig. 25, has convo-
lutions in stainless steel or Incoloy, formed cold, either
by rolling or hydraulic forming. Convolution depth is
about 24 to 75 mm, with a single-ply thickness of 0.5
to 2 mm, although multi-ply construction is used for
higher pressures. This design of bellows offers greater
scope than the thick-wall type with regard to movement
and pressure. It has the disadvantage that it requires
careful handling at all times, and it is usual to protec-
tive liners both inside and outside. It is also essential to
provide external restraining bars to keep the complete
unit rigid during handling. Once installed, the restraining
bars must be released to permit axial thermal movement.
The hot-formed medium-wall bellows offers a com-
promise between the thick and thin wall types, being
more flexible than the thick wall, yet offering a more
rugged construction than the thin wall. Material is
usually a chrome-molybdenum alloy or stainless steel,
2.0 to 4.5 mm thick, with a convolution height of 50
to 63 mm.
H. Hydrostatic testing
If tube end welding is involved, the welds are given a
low-pressure air or halogen test on the shell side at about
0.07 before the fmal hydrostatic tests. It is
Nuts released
after installation
I screws
Internal sleeve
Figure 25
1983 Hemisphere Publishing Corporation
.
1--
4.2.6 Mechanical Design and Fabrication 4.2.
easier to make sound tube end weld repairs if the ends
have not been in contact with water. If a multipass tech-
nique has been used for the tube end welding, then each
pass must be given a low-pressure test before proceeding
to the next.
Upon completion the exchanger must be hydro-
statically tested with water to check the soundness of all
welded seams, tube end, and joints. The shell
side and tube side of the exchanger must be tested inde-
pendently to their code test pressures, unless
the exchanger has been designed for a differential pres-
sure, in which case both sides must be pressurized to-
gether, taking care that the differential test pressure is
not exceeded.
The fabricator prefers to test the tube ends with
pressure on the outside of the tubes, as this allows every
tube end to be checked for tightness at the outer
sheet face and leakers can be positively identified. This
is acceptable if the shell-side test pressure is equal to or
greater than the tube-side test pressure. When the re-
verse is the case, the customer may insist that the tube
ends be tested with pressure on the tube side, which
means that removable bundles must be tested outside
the shell. In this event leakage is detected as drips from
the bottom of the bundle at the inner tubesheet face,
but positive identification of the actual leakers is more
difficult, particularly with the tube configurations com-
monly used. The fabricator endeavors to minimize un-
necessary rerolling of tube ends, but some may be
inevitable.
Split straight tubes and outer U tubes are removed
and replaced if practicable, but otherwise they are
plugged. Inner U tubes must be plugged. Explosive
plugging is available for high-integrity services.
Testing of tubesheet exchangers is straight-
forward in that there are only two tests to carry out.
The shell side is pressurized first, with the heads or head
covers removed, to check the shell welding, tube ends,
-External cover (free at
Restraining bolts
Restraining flange
Stub ends (in same metal
as shell barrel)
Thin-wall bellows.
4.2.6-12 4.2 SHELL-AND-TUBE EXCHANGERS: CONSTRUCTION 4.2.6 Mechanical Design and Fabrication

flange
at rear head

Floating tubesheet
Observe leaks

Figure 26 Test flange and gland for floating-head exchanger.

and for split tubes. Unless the exchanger has been de-
signed for a differential pressure, the shell side is
drained, the heads or head covers fitted, and the tube
side pressurized to check the head welding and all
head joints. Although this again tests the tube
ends, leaks can be revealed only as drips from bottom
nozzles.
In order to test and T-type floating-head bundles
inside the shell, with the test pressure outside the tubes,
a special test flange and gland is required at the floating
head as shown in Fig. 26. This allows tube ends to be
inspected at the outer face of the floating tubesheet.
The construction of and P-type floating-head
changers is such that they have built-in test flange and
gland facilities. It should be noted that to test T-type
floating-head bundles inside the shell, using the test
flange and gland, the bolt holes in the floating tubesheet
must be plugged temporarily. If the T type has no rear
head flanges, the test flange and gland cannot be used,
neither can it be used for T-type kettles. Sometimes a
separate test shell is made to suit these cases.
When testing any removable bundle inside the shell,
with the test pressure outside the tubes, a joint must be
made between the shell and stationary tubesheet to con-
tain the shell-side pressure. There must also be access to
the outer face of the stationary tubesheet to inspect the

la: in gaskets fitted lb: Pressure in tubes

To check tube expansions and split To check tube expansions and split tubes

Test when test tube-side test pressure Test when test pressure shell-ride test

Test 2: in tubes-Service gaskets fitted 3: Pressure in shell--Service fitted

To check welding check shell end shell cover welding

To check ioint To check shell/shell cover joint
To check To check plate
To check channel
To check channel/cover

Figure 27 Hydrostatic testing of split-backing-ring floating-head exchanger.

1983 Hemisphere Publishing Corporation

4.2 SHELL-AND-TUBE EXCHANGERS: CONSTRUCTION 4.2.6 Mechanical Design and Fabrication 4.2.6-13

tube ends. Bobbin-type heads satisfy these requirements,
but bonnet-type heads do not and they must be omitted
for the test. Unless the tubesheet is flanged, it is neces-
sary to replace bonnet-type heads by a special test ring
or backing flange on the tube side of the stationary
sheet to hold the joint.
For testing the bundle outside the shell, with the
pressure inside the tubes, a joint must be made between
the stationary head and stationary tubesheet to contain
the tube-side pressure. Unless the tubesheet is flanged,
or integral with the head, a similar test ring will be re-
quired on the shell side of the stationary tubesheet to
hold the joint.
The test procedure for an S-type floating-head ex-
changer is shown in Fig. 27 from which the special test
ring will be seen. A similar testing procedure is used for
other removable bundle exchangers. If any
joints have to be broken during testing, test gaskets are
used instead of the service gaskets, these being stored
until the service joints are finally made.

1983 Hemisphere Publishing Corporation