Tubesheet Heat Exchangers: New Common Design Rules in UPV, CODAP, and ASME

Abstract

French CODAP rules devoted to tubesheet heat exchangers were adopted in the 1990s, for the European Unfired Pressure Vessel Standard (UPV). ASME Section VIII—Div. 1 rules issued in July 1998 are based on a similar approach. At the initiative of the author, who is a member of CODAP, UPV, and ASME respective Committees on Heat Exchangers, it has been decided to make the tubesheet design rules of these three codes as consistent as possible. This paper presents the various aspects of this harmonization that covers both the theoretical basis of the rules and the editorial aspect (use of common notations, common tubesheet configurations, common terminology, etc). The main analytical basis of these rules, and their differences are explained. Numerical benchmark calculations, performed on real heat exchangers, outline the significant improvements due to the consistency, with a comparison to current TEMA rules. Use of these common rules in the coming years, both in US and Europe, is discussed in the general context of globalization of the market. [S0094-9930(00)01003-9]