U-Tube Shell & Tube Heat Exchanger with ASME SA179 Tubes and SA266 Gr.2 Tubesheet for High ΔT Service

Yuhong Group: Complete Heat Exchanger Solutions – From Components to Full Equipment

Yuhong Group Co., Ltd. designs and manufactures a comprehensive range of thermal equipment for global industries. Our core offerings include shell and tube heat exchangers, pressure vessels, air coolers, and a complete supply of critical components: finned tube bundles, U-tube bundles, heat exchanger tubesheets, and all related parts – ensuring full support for new projects and maintenance.

Product Focus: U-Tube Shell & Tube Heat Exchanger – Engineered for High Thermal Differential

Based on the attached photographs, this is a U-tube shell & tube heat exchanger – one of the most versatile and reliable designs for applications involving large temperature differences between shell-side and tube-side fluids.

The photographs show the following key features:

• Tube material: ASME SA179 (seamless carbon steel tubes) – providing excellent thermal conductivity and formability for U-bending

• Tubesheet material: ASME SA266 Gr.2 (forged carbon steel) – offering high strength and dimensional stability

• Flange material: ASME SA105 (forged carbon steel) – ensuring reliable bolted connections

• Design type: U-tube (single tubesheet, tubes can expand freely)

• Construction: Full ASME/TEMA compliance with hydrostatic testing and NDE

Key Components & Their Functions in This U-Tube Heat Exchanger

Why U-Tube Design? – Key Advantages Over Fixed Tubesheet

When to Specify a U-Tube Heat Exchanger:

• Thermal differential > 50°C – U-bend handles expansion without expansion joint

• High tube-side pressure – single tubesheet design handles pressure efficiently

• Shell-side cleaning is sufficient – cleaning of U-bend internal surfaces is limited

• Need for cost-effective thermal expansion solution – U-tube is more economical than floating head

Technical Highlights of Our U-Tube Heat Exchanger

• ASME SA179 seamless tubes: Cold-drawn, low-carbon steel provides excellent thermal conductivity, formability for U-bending, and consistent wall thickness for reliable tube-to-tubesheet joints.

• ASME SA266 Gr.2 forged tubesheet: Forged carbon steel offers superior mechanical properties compared to rolled plate – particularly in the through-thickness direction. This is critical for high-pressure tube-side service and long-term tube joint integrity.

• ASME SA105 forged flanges: Forged carbon steel flanges provide reliable sealing and resistance to galling during bolt-up – essential for maintaining leak-tight joints over multiple maintenance cycles.

• Precision U-bending: Our U-tubes are bent with controlled radius to avoid wall thinning or ovality – ensuring consistent tube life and predictable thermal expansion behavior.

• Tube-to-tubesheet joint: Precision rolling (and optional seal welding) creates leak-tight joints that withstand thermal cycling and pressure fluctuations.

Knowledge Module: U-Tube vs. Floating Head vs. Fixed Tubesheet – Which to Choose?

Typical Applications for U-Tube Heat Exchangers

Component-Only Supply – We Also Provide for Maintenance & Spares

If your existing U-tube heat exchanger needs replacement parts, we supply individual components without ordering a complete new exchanger:

• U-tube bundles – direct replacement for existing shells – built to your drawing

• Finned tube bundles – for air cooler retrofits and gas-cooling applications

• Heat exchanger tubes – ASME SA179, stainless steel, alloy – cut to length, bent, and end-prepared

• Heat exchanger tubesheet – SA266 Gr.2, forged, drilled and grooved per your pattern

• Flanges – SA105, SA350 LF2, stainless – any facing type

• Baffles, tie rods, spacers – machined to your dimensions

How to Specify a Replacement U-Tube Bundle Correctly

To avoid mismatches, we need the following information (send any of these):

1. Original bundle drawing – best option. We duplicate tube count, U-bend radius, tube length, and baffle spacing exactly.

2. Old bundle (physical sample) – we can measure and reverse-engineer a perfect match.

3. Shell internal dimensions – shell ID, tubesheet groove dimensions, bolt circle.

4. Service conditions – temperature, pressure, fluids – to confirm material selection is appropriate.

Typical Materials for U-Tube Heat Exchangers

Quality Assurance & Documentation

Every U-tube shell & tube heat exchanger we fabricate includes:

• ASME Code compliance – per ASME Section VIII, Division 1

• TEMA standards – design, fabrication, and inspection per TEMA requirements

• Material Test Certificates (MTC) per EN 10204 3.1 – full traceability

• NDE reports – RT, UT, MT, PT as required

• Hydrostatic test report – shell side and tube side

• PMI (Positive Material Identification) – available on request

• Third-party inspection (SGS, BV, TÜV) – at buyer’s request

Get a Quotation for Your U-Tube Heat Exchanger

To quote a U-tube shell & tube heat exchanger like the one in your photographs, send the following to jimmy@steelseamlesspipe.com:

• Process data sheet (flow rates, inlet/outlet temperatures, pressures)

• Fluid composition (corrosivity, fouling tendency)

• Tube material preference (SA179 carbon steel as shown – or stainless steel, alloy)

• Required code compliance (ASME, TEMA)

• Drawing (PDF, scan, or hand sketch) if available

Our engineers will respond with a technical proposal, general arrangement drawing, and competitive price – typically within 48 hours.