Manufactured to TEMA, ASME Section VIII Div.1, and ASTM Specifications - for Refinery, Petrochemical, and Power Generation Applications
Yuhong Group Co., Ltd. is a specialized supplier of heat transfer equipment and replacement components for shell and tube heat exchangers, pressure vessels, and air coolers. With extensive experience in high-temperature and high-pressure boiler tube applications, we provide engineered tube bundles that meet the rigorous demands of refinery, petrochemical, and power generation services.
The tube bundle is the core heat transfer component within a shell and tube heat exchanger, consisting of precision-engineered heat exchanger tubes secured to tube sheets, supported by segmental baffles, and stabilized by tie rods and spacers. Our tube bundles feature straight-tube and U-tube configurations, with clearly visible tube-to-tubesheet welding, baffle orientation, and overall assembly integrity.
Typical shell diameters range from 325 mm to 1,400 mm, with tube lengths from 3,000 mm to 12,000 mm. Tube outer diameters are available from 12.7 mm to 220 mm, with wall thicknesses from 2.11 mm to 25.4 mm, depending on design pressure and thermal duty requirements.
Each tube bundle comprises four primary sub-assemblies, with material selection per ASTM/ASME specifications:
| Component | Material Options | Applicable Standards |
|---|---|---|
| Heat Exchanger Tubes | Carbon Steel, Stainless Steel (TP304, TP316L), Alloy Steel | ASTM A192 / SA192; ASTM A210 / SA210 Gr.A1; ASTM A213 |
| Tube Sheet | Carbon Steel, Stainless Steel, Bimetallic | ASME SA516 Gr.70; SA240; TEMA RCB |
| Baffles | Carbon Steel, Stainless Steel | ASME SA516; SA240 |
| Tie Rods & Spacers | Carbon Steel, Alloy Steel | ASTM A193 / A194 |
Every tube bundle undergoes the following quality control tests per ASME Section VIII Div.1 and TEMA standards:
| Test Type | Method | Standard Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Hydrostatic Test | 100% tube-side and shell-side pressure test | ASME Section VIII Div.1; ASME SA450 |
| Non-Destructive Examination | Eddy Current (ECT) or Ultrasonic (UT) | ASTM E213; ASTM E426 |
| Mechanical Testing | Flattening, Flaring, Tensile, Hardness | ASTM A370 |
| Dimensional Verification | Tube sheet hole alignment, baffle spacing, tube-to-tubesheet joint geometry | TEMA RCB |
Tube-to-Tubesheet Joint Integrity: Tubes are expanded and seal-welded to the tube sheet, with bore sizes precisely controlled per TEMA RCB to ensure leak-proof performance under thermal cycling.
Anti-Vibration Baffle Design: Segmental baffles are rotationally offset around the longitudinal axis to optimize shell-side flow distribution and suppress tube vibration caused by cross-flow.
U-Bend Flexibility: For U-tube bundles, bent sections are formed with controlled radius to accommodate differential thermal expansion between shell and tubes without requiring expansion joints.
Baffle spacing directly influences shell-side velocity, pressure drop, and heat transfer coefficient. Closer spacing increases cross-flow velocity and heat transfer but raises pressure drop—and more critically, increases the risk of flow-induced vibration. TEMA standards recommend evaluating the baffle spacing-to-tube span ratio to avoid resonant vibration. For high-flow applications, we can perform a streamlined vibration analysis to optimize baffle spacing prior to fabrication.
Key inspection points include: (1) tube wall thickness—measured by ultrasonic testing to determine remaining life; (2) tube-to-tubesheet joint condition—check for crevice corrosion or cracked seal welds; (3) baffle hole wear—enlarged clearance due to tube vibration indicates support degradation; and (4) inlet impingement zone—erosion at the first baffle space is a common failure site. If perforation is localized, plugging may be a short-term option; when thinning exceeds 20% of nominal wall or leakage is widespread, a replacement bundle is the recommended solution.
