×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Exchanger Tube thickness question

Exchanger Tube thickness question

Exchanger Tube thickness question

(OP)
I am designing an exchanger, and am wanting to compute the minimum tube thickness.  Using the Barlow equation:

tm = PDo/{2(SE+PY)}  + C
where P = design pressure
SE = allowable stress = 13,200 psi for A213 tubes @ 450°F
Y = .4 for A213 (304L)
 
My question is what is good value to use for corrosion/erosion allowance, C?  Processing syn gas through tubes at 900 psi.  Cooling water on shell side.

Any rules of thumb to use?

RE: Exchanger Tube thickness question




According TEMA code, tubes are not required to have corrosion allowance.

Carbon steel parts of shell, heads and tube sheets vary from 1/16" up to 1/8".  


lm  

RE: Exchanger Tube thickness question

You have selected 304L, a corrosion resistant alloy, therefore it would be expected to have an acceptable metal loss from the nominal thickness as computed.  Since it is an austenitic stainless steel, it will also have a superior erosion resistance compared to carbon steel and, provided that you are not sending solids through, should give acceptable performance.

Steve Jones
Materials & Corrosion Engineer
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/8/83b/b04
 

RE: Exchanger Tube thickness question

(OP)
Thanks for your input.  I will proceed with the minimum tube thickness calc assuming no extra allowance is required.
Bill

RE: Exchanger Tube thickness question


Bill3752

If the cooling water has more than 50 ppm of chlorides SS TP304L is not a good material choice.

After determination of the minimum thickness and according the corrosivity of your fluids, shell side and tube side, then you have to chose a "safety" BWG to your tubes according TEMA tables.

lm

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources