Special Tubesheet Construction — Double Tubesheet

Abstract

In many heat exchange applications, intermingling of shellside and tubeside fluids may cause undesirable results, not the least of which may be safety related. Therefore, prevention of any fluid leakage between shell side and tube side of shell and tube heat exchangers becomes a prime design consideration. One method to inhibit mixing of component fluids is to employ double tubesheet construction. Double tubesheet construction has been used in submarine systems primarily for safety reasons. In commercial applications, double tubesheet designs in standard heat exchangers have been used for a variety of reasons, such as the case where mixing of shell and tube side streams could lead to an explosive mixture. In recent years, double tubesheet construction has also been found in large power plant condensers. In the condenser application to large rectangular tubesheets, the primary concern has been prevention of contamination of treated and demineralized water due to the leakage of circulating water (raw water) into the condenser steam space.