2010 SECTION VIII, DIVISION 2
4-373
4.18.9.3 Design Considerations
a) The calculation shall be performed for the stationary end and for the floating end of the exchanger.
Since the edge configurations of the stationary and floating tubesheets are different, the data may be
different for each set of calculations. However the conditions of applicability given in 4.18.9.2 must be
maintained. For the stationary end, diameters
1
,, , , , ,
scsc
AC D D G G G, and the thickness
c
t shall be
taken from Figure 4.18.11. For the floating end, diameters
,, , ,
cc
AC D G and the thickness
c
t shall
be taken from Figure 4.18.12, and the radial shell dimension
a shall be taken equal to
c
a
b) It is generally not possible to determine, by observation, the most severe condition of coincident
pressure, temperature and radial differential thermal expansion. Thus, it is necessary to evaluate all the
anticipated loading conditions to ensure that the worst load combination has been considered in the
design. The various loading conditions to be considered shall include the normal operating conditions,
the startup conditions, the shutdown conditions, and the upset conditions, which may govern the design
of the main components of the heat exchanger (i.e., tubesheets, tubes, shell, channel, tube-to-
tubesheet joint).
1) For each of these conditions, the following loading cases shall be considered to determine the
effective pressure
e
P to be used in the design equations:
i) Loading Case 1 – Tube side pressure
t
P acting only
)
0
s
P
without differential thermal
expansion.
ii) Loading Case 2 – Shell side pressure
P acting only
)
0
t
P
without differential thermal
expansion.
iii) Loading Case 3 – Tube side pressure
t
P and shell side pressure
P acting simultaneously,
without differential thermal expansion.
iv) Loading Case 4 – Radial differential thermal expansion acting only
()
0
s
P = and
)
0
t
P
.
v) Loading Case 5 – Tube side pressure
t
P acting only
)
0
s
P = with radial differential
thermal expansion.
vi) Loading Case 6 – Shell side pressure
P acting only
)
0
t
P = with radial differential
thermal expansion.
vii) Loading Case 7 – Tube side pressure
t
P and shell side pressure
P acting simultaneously,
with radial differential thermal expansion.
2) Loading Cases 4, 5, 6, and 7 are only required when the effect of radial differential thermal
expansion is to be considered.
3) When vacuum exists, each loading case shall be considered with and without the vacuum.
4) When differential design pressure is specified by the user, the design shall be based only on
Loading Cases 3 and 7. If the tube side is the higher-pressure side,
t
P shall be the tube side design
pressure and
P shall be
t
P less the differential design pressure. If the shell side is the higher-
pressure side,
P shall be the shell side design pressure and
t
P shall be
P less the differential
design pressure.
5) The designer should take appropriate consideration of the stresses resulting from the pressure test
required by paragraph 4.1.6.2 and Part 8.