Engineering Support for Heat Exchanger Manufacturers
Shell-and-tube heat exchanger design carries two governing standards at once: the pressure boundary code and the mechanical design standard specific to exchangers. Getting the differential thermal behaviour between shell and tubes wrong is the most common source of in-service failure. We support exchanger manufacturers with mechanical design, calculation, and drawing scope across both standards.
Codes & Regional Compliance
- United States / global baseline: ASME Section VIII for the pressure boundary, combined with TEMA (Tubular Exchanger Manufacturers Association) standards for mechanical design. TEMA Class R, C, or B depending on service severity.
- Canada: ASME/TEMA design basis combined with CRN registration support for the pressure-retaining shell and channel components.
- Europe: PED categorization and documentation for the pressure boundary, with TEMA or EN 13445 mechanical design basis as specified by the client.
- Australia: AS 1210 pressure boundary compliance combined with TEMA mechanical design conventions where specified.
- Class selection: TEMA class (R for severe petroleum/process service, C for moderate commercial/process service, B for chemical process service) confirmed against actual service conditions rather than assumed by industry default.
Design Checks Unique to Heat Exchangers
- Tube bundle design: tube layout, pitch, and pass arrangement against the specified thermal duty.
- Tubesheet thickness calculation, accounting for differential pressure and thermal loading between shell and tube side.
- Baffle spacing, optimized for the specified flow conditions and checked against flow-induced vibration limits.
- Differential thermal expansion between shell and tubes, and whether the design requires an expansion joint or floating head to accommodate it.
Typical Deliverable Set
- GA drawing with tube layout and nozzle schedule
- Mechanical design calculation package to ASME/TEMA (or EN 13445 where specified)
- Fabrication drawings for shell, tubesheet, and channel components
- BOM covering shell, tube bundle, and channel scope
Common Mistakes / Revision Triggers
- Differential thermal expansion not accounted for, leading to tubesheet joint or shell-to-channel issues in service
- Baffle spacing not checked against flow-induced vibration limits for the specified flow rate
- TEMA class assumed from habit rather than confirmed against actual service severity
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
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