<p>The flexible shell of corner-corner type is used widely as expansion joint, distribution or vapor belt in heat exchangers. It is not limited&nbsp;to the manufacturing process and can withstand higher pressures in large-diameter shell-and-tube heat exchangers&nbsp;and &nbsp;harsh environments. However, at present, there is a lack of integral design calculation methods and evaluation criteria for the local stresses and axial stiffness at the flexible shell of corner-corner type. Therefore, its safety assessment and influence on the calculation of the tube sheet of the fixed tube sheet heat exchanger is neglected, which will result in potential safety hazard too. In this paper, a mechanical calculation model is established for the flexible shell of corner-corner type, the charater of stress distribution and analytical solution with design criteria is proposed based on the plate and shell theory. The accuration of the model for calculation of both strength and stiffness is also verified by finite element analysis. Through an engineering design case, influence due to axial stiffness of the flexible shell element on the calculation of the tube sheet in fixed heat exchanger is analyzed. Finally, the design integrity recommendations for the shell and tube heat exchanger with corner-corner typed flexible shell are presented.</p>

Analysis and Calculation of Strength and Stiffness for Flexible Shell Element of Corner-Corner Type in Fixed Tubesheet Heat Exchangers

Paper Proceedings: https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/PVP/PVP2021/volume/85314

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