Anti-Vibration Tube Support Technologies

FPEX Design Symposium
7th Dec., 2007
ANTI-VIBRATION TUBE SUPPORT TECHNOLOGIES

Abstract
Now-a-days new technologies are being developed in the field of heat exchangers and
similar tube bundle equipments. The size of the equipment is reducing by optimal design for
better heat transfer & performance, which in turn results in higher flow rates. This very high
flow rate results in the flow induced vibration in tubes which damage the tubes and leads to
smaller life span of the equipment. An innovative method of reducing vibration in a tube
bundle to get rid of the vibration in tubes includes inserting at least one elongated
longitudinally extending support strip within at least one tube lane. These support strips are
so called anti-vibration tube supports. These anti-vibration tube support technologies avoid
the need to deviate from optimum design to reduce vibration potential.
This paper consolidates the need of the anti-vibration tube supports and some of antivibration tube support technologies, their description and advantages & applications.
Introduction
A tube support device or tube stake is used to support the tubes in the bundle and to mitigate
the possibility of tube damage from flow-induced vibration in tube bundles in heat
exchangers, condensers or other similar tube bundle equipment.
M/s Exxonmobil, USA have patented anti-vibration tube supports (US patent no. 60/728327)
invented by Mr. Amar S Wanni and Mr. Thomas M Rudy.
The types of anti-vibration supports patented by M/s. Exxonmobil are:
Dimpled Tube Support (DTS) Technology.
Saddled Tube Support (STS) Technology.
Further extension to these is ESB Enhanced Support Bundle and Slotted Baffle eXchanger
(SBX).
M/s. Larsen & Toubro Limited has signed a license agreement in 2007 with Exxonmobil for
design, manufacturing & supply of heat exchangers employing these anti-vibration tube
supports.
Chander Pal Verma FPEX - FP1

This paper is the property of LARSEN & TOUBRO LIMITED and must not be copied or lent without their permission.
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Anti-Vibration Tube Support:

In the tube bundle having a plurality of tubes arranged in rows specially in shell and tube heat
exchangers with tube lanes separating the tube rows, a method of reducing vibration is
inserting at least one elongated longitudinally extended support strip within at least one tube
lane. A tube support device or tube stake which is useful to mitigate the possibility of tube
damage from flow-induced vibration in tube bundles. Each elongated longitudinally extended
support strip has a pair of opposing faces and a plurality of successive transverse tube
support rows located at successive longitudinal locations along the strip. Each tube support
row having a plurality of raised, tube-engaging zones, wherein the plurality of raised, tubeengaging zones extend laterally outwards to engage with tubes in the tube bundle on
opposite sides of a tube lane; and orienting the at least one elongated longitudinally
extending support strip such that each tube adjacent the tube lane contacts at least one of
the transverse tube support rows. It comprises securing at least one of the longitudinally
extending support strips to the tube bundle.
Need of the Tube Support Devices:

Tube bundle equipment such as shell and tube heat exchangers and similar items of fluid
handling devices utilize tubes organized in bundles to conduct the fluids through the
equipment. In such tube bundles, there is typically fluid flow both through the insides of the
tubes and across the outsides of the tubes. The configuration of the tubes in the bundle is set
by the tubesheets into which the tubes are set.
Fluid flow patterns around the tubes as well as the changes in the temperature and density of
the fluids which arise as they circulate a result of the heat exchange between the two fluids
flowing in and around the tubes may give rise to flow-induced vibrations of an oscillatory
nature in the tube bundle. If these vibrations reach certain critical amplitudes, damage to the
bundle may result.
Flow-induced vibration may also occur when equipment is put to more severe operating
demands, for example, when other existing equipment is upgraded and a previously
satisfactory heat exchanger, under new conditions, becomes subject to flow-induced

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vibrations. Vibration may even be encountered under certain conditions when an exchanger
is still in the flow stream but without heat transfer taking place.
Now-a-days equipment size is reducing with inventions of new technologies means an
equipment with comparatively smaller size are replacing the conventional big size equipment
delivering the same performance. This leads to the higher fluid flow rates which in turn
results in flow induced vibrations in the tubes.
Advances in process technologies and catalysts used in the process industries allows the
operator to increase plant capacity by increasing flow through existing equipment due to
unavailability of space in the plant or some other reasons.
Flow induced vibrations can be of following types:
Vortex shedding.
Turbulent buffeting
Parallel flow eddy formation
Fluid elastic whirling
Acoustic vibration
Over past few years, tube damage due to flow induced vibration has increased a lot. Tube
damage are very expensive and leads to lost production, plant shut down and of course high
repair cost. Hence, it is necessary to reduce flow induced vibration as much as possible.
Flow induced vibrations in tubes can be reduced by
Reducing tube unsupported length by reducing baffle pitch, adding intermediate

support plates, using NTIW baffles or Rod baffles.
Reducing cross flow velocity by increasing baffle pitch, tube pitch, bundle shell
clearance etc.
Re-tubing with tubes of a different material to the original tubes, for example, if
relatively stiff materials are replaced with lighter weight tubes.
Good equipment design
Other measures may be taken to reduce tube vibration.

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Tube support devices or tube stakes are commonly known and may be installed in the tube
bundle in order to control flow-induced vibration and to prevent excessive movement of the
tubes.
Problems with previous Tube Supports:

One problem with the present configuration of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,442 is
that the stakes do not create a positive location for each individual tube, although the stake is
locked into place in its selected tube lane. The tubes remain free to vibrate in one plane
parallel to the tube lane and parallel to the stake.
A different problem exists with the design shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,155: although the
tubes in rows encircled by the U-shaped stakes are fully supported, the tubes at the
periphery of the tube bundle which are not directly encircled by one of the stakes i.e.,
retained within one of the closed ends of the U-shaped stakes (these are the outer tubes in
alternate rows which are not encircled by the ends of the U-shaped stakes), are free to move
and vibration in these tubes can be expected under certain conditions. In addition, because
the corrugation of the tube support has a transition region before reaching its full depth the
two tubes adjacent to each of the outermost tubes do not receive any vibration mitigation
either.
Some stakes uses two V-shaped pressings separated by compression springs which force
the stakes against the tubes on opposite sides of the tube lane in order to dampen oscillatory
vibrations. This form of stake is, however, quite expensive to manufacture. A unitary stake
which will accommodate relatively wide tube lanes without the complication of separate parts
therefore remains desirable.

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Summary:
A tube support device or tube stake which is useful to mitigate the possibility of tube damage
from flow-induced vibration in tube bundles comprises an elongated member or strip which is
intended to be inserted in a tube lane between the tubes of a tube bundle in a heat
exchanger, condenser or other tube bundle device. Raised-tube-engaging zones are
disposed in transverse rows across the strip at successive longitudinal locations along the
length of the strip; these tube-engaging zones extend laterally from both faces of the strip,
away from the medial plane of the strip, to engage with tubes on opposite sides of the tube
lane into which the stake is inserted. The tube-engaging zones are preferably arranged so
that they extend laterally from the two opposed faces of the strip in an alternating manner.
This alternating arrangement within each transverse row is preferably used with a second
alternating arrangement in which the raised tube-engaging zones alternate from one face of
the strip to the other at the same transverse location in successive rows.
The raised, tube-engaging zones may suitably be formed as dimples or corrugations which
extend longitudinally along the strip to engage the successive pairs of tubes which are
opposite one another on a tube lane and located adjacent to one another in a tube row.
Dimpled Tube Support (DTS):

In this type of tube supports, dimpled and corrugated strips of metal are inserted in the tube
bundle to reduce vibration in tubes and stiffen the bundle. And tubes and DTS strips lock
each other into place. DTS supports are further secured by using cables at the outer end.

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This is a hybrid form of tube stake in which the raised tube-engaging zones are in the form of
raised corrugations at the inner end of the stake (the end which is to be inserted into the
center of the tube bundle) and in the form of dimples at the outer end of the stake (the end
which is at the periphery of the tube bundle). As before, the tube-engaging zones are
disposed in transverse rows across the strip at successive longitudinal locations along the
length of the strip, extending laterally from both faces of the strip, away from the medial plane
of the strip, to engage with tubes on opposite sides of the tube lane into which the stake is
inserted. The corrugations on the inner end of the stake slide more readily between the tubes
in the bundle, enabling the stake to be inserted more easily into the bundle while the dimples
at the out end of the stake interlock with the tubes near the periphery of the bundle to provide
good stake location and retention capabilities.
In this type of tube support, the number of transverse rows of dimples at the outer end of the
stake may be chosen more or less at wish, depending upon the relative importance attached
to ease of stake insertion and positive stake retention. Typically, from three to ten rows of
dimples in a normal length (about 20 to 50 cm) stake will be adequate to ensure good stake
retention. The outer tube row may be supported on only one side by the outermost row of
dimples depending on the configuration of the tubes at the periphery of the tube bundle but
by providing a sufficient number of dimpled rows, adequate stake retention may be provided.
Saddled Tube Support (STS):

In STS type of the tube supports, corrugated twin straight
strips of metal are inserted in the tube bundle to reduce
vibration and stiffen the bundle. Corrugations are provided on
thin strips of metal and two such identical strips are welded
together to form a complete tube support.

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The saddle corrugations on the strips provide more contact area with each tube and locking
device is used to lock the strip at place as shown. It deflects each tube slightly and inserted
in the alternate tube
lanes similar to the
DTS.
Enhanced Support Bundle (ESB):

This technology uses axial shell side flow to reduce pressure drop. This is an extension to
the dimpled tube support and saddled tube support. It consists of tube support cages (TSC)
fabricated with thinner spacers compared to tube spacing. Tube bundle is stiffened with DTS
or STS after loading the tube support cages. This provides substantial reduction in shellside
pressure drop compared to conventional baffle exchanger.
DTS-V
TSC-V
DTS-H
TSC-H
DTS-V
TSC-V
DTS-H
DTS-V
Typical arrangement of ESB with TSCs and DTS
Slotted Baffle Exchanger (SBX):

This technology also uses axial shell side flow to reduce pressure drop. Axial-flow design are
useful when shellside pressure drop must be minimized.
One slotted baffle (SB) is provided with horizontal ribs while other is provided with vertical
ribs. The ribs each SB are slightly undersized compared to tube spacing i.e. if tube spacing is
1/4 then thickness of ribs may be selected as 0.24. Once all tubes ae loaded and secured
to the tubesheet, either DTS or STS are installed between SBs to stiffen the entire tube
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bundle. Flow bypassing that may occur axially outside the bundle i.e. clearance between the
OTL of bundle and shell ID, may be minimized by providing plates in form of windows-cut-out
baffle, which are placed in between SBs. The ribs may be produced by welding bars or rods
to window-cut-out baffle, which is used in the ESB technology.
Besides decreasing the pressure drop, axial shell side flow also decreases the heat-transfer
coefficient. Hence, there should be compromise between these which is acceptable.
Infact, ESB may be replaced by SBX design.
DTS-V
SB-V
DTS-H
SB-H
DTS-V
SB-V
DTS-H
SB-H
DTS-V
Typical arrangement for SBX with SBs and DTS

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Brief Description with drawings:

The invention is described in connection with
following drawings as follows:
Fig. 1 is cross-sectional view of a tube support
device having an engagement assembly for
engaging an anchor assembly in accordance
with an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a tube
support device having an engagement for
engaging an anchor assembly in accordance
with another embodiment of the present
invention.
Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the tube
support device taken along Y-Y section in Fig.
1 and 2.
Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the tube
support device taken along Q-Q section in Fig.
1 and 2.
Fig. 5 is a side view of the engagement
assembly of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 6 is a front view of the engagement
assembly of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1.
Figure. 1

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Fig. 7 is a side view of a variation of the

engagement assembly of the embodiment
shown in Fig. 1
Fig. 8 is front view of engagement assembly
shown in Fig. 7.
Fig. 9 is a side view of a variation of
shown in Fig. 2.
assembly shown in Fig. 9.
Fig. 11 is a side view of a variation of the
shown in Fig. 2.
assembly shown in Fig. 11.
Fig. 13 is a schematic view illustrating the
positioning of the tube support device located in
a tube bundle with triangular configuration.
Fig. 14 is a schematic view illustrating the
positioning of the tube support device with in a
tube bundle at the time of insertion.
Fig. 15 is a schematic view illustrating one
possible position of the tube support within the
tube bundle after the tube support device is
Figure. 2
rotated in a desired direction.

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Figure. 3
Figure. 4
Figure. 5
Figure. 6
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Figure. 7
Figure. 8

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Figure. 9
Figure. 11
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Figure. 10
Figure. 12

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Figure. 14
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Figure. 15
Detailed description of preferred embodiments:

The heat exchanger includes an array of elongated tubes 1 arranged in a bundle. The tubes
may be arranged in rectangular configuration, as shown in fig. 1,2 and 11 or a triangular
configuration as shown in fig. 13. An anchor assembly 14 extends through the bundle
adjacent the U-shaped bend portion 13 as shown in fig. 14 and 15. The inner tubes are much
stiffer than that are located near the exterior of the bundle. The outer tubes are more
susceptible to vibration and chatter. The anchor assembly 14 is inserted into the bundle prior
to the insertion of tube support device. The anchor assembly 14 may be of the form of a bar
or a cable that is clamped to one or more of the outer tubes of the bundle as shown in fig. 13
using appropriate clamp 6.
A tube support device 20 includes an elongated strip 21, preferably formed from a strip of
metal which can resist corrosion. Strip 21 includes plurality of rows of tube engaging
members 22, 23 and 24, which includes rows of dimples 22a, 22b, 22c as in fig. 1 and 3 or
corrugations 24a, 24b, 24c as in fig. 1 and 4, which projects opposing side of strip 21. It can
also include member 23 having both dimples and corrugations as in fig. 1.
Device 21 includes engagement assembly 25, which includes flat bar 26 affixed by welding
or riveting. Flat bar is shown in fig. 5 and 6. An alternate to flat bar 26 is illustrated in fig. 7 &
8 which replaces flat 26 with slot 29.

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For U-bend portion, tube support device 20 is inserted in to the bundle at a location adjacent
to tangent point of the U-bend portion as shown in fig. 14 and can be rotated about the axis
of anchor assembly as shown in fig. 15.
The support device 30 differs from the support device 20 because the engagement assembly
is integrated into the strip 21. Instead of securing a flat bar 26, the extension which forms the
engagement assembly is formed from extension 36 of the strip 21. Rest of the construction
may be same as that of support device 20. Additional plates 37 may be added by welding or
riveting to the extension 36 to increase the thickness as shown in fig. 11.
Fabrication:
These tube supports (DTS) may be conveniently and inexpensively fabricated by pressing
with dies equipped with suitably arranged protrusions and cavities to form the dimples,
corrugations or other forms of tube-engaging zones or by the use of pairs of rollers which
have protrusions and cavities (alternating between the top and bottom rollers of the set) to
form the raised zones on the strip. Many of the known types of tube stake do not lend
themselves to this economical and convenient method of fabrication. Preferably, slotted
baffles are fabricated by making cut out in the plate using high precision machining
processes like water-cutting or laser-cutting.
Implementation:
The tube support device or tube stake of the present type is arranged to provide direct
support for tubes which are adjacent to one another but on opposite sides of a tube lane. The
tube support may be inserted between the tubes in the tube bundle along a tube lane
between adjacent tube rows. Where the construction of the exchanger permits, the stake
may be made sufficiently long to extend from one side of the tube bundle to the other to
provide support for the tubes across the entire width of the bundle. In this case, the length of
the tube supports will vary according to the length of the tube lanes across the bundle. In
many cases, however, the location of pass lanes in the bundle will create discontinuities in
the lanes so that it will not be possible to insert these supports all the way across the bundle.
In such cases, it may be possible to insert these into the bundle from different angles along

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the length of the bundle in order to provide as much support as possible for the tubes. Thus,
the stakes will be inserted transversely into the bundle at each axial location in an angularly
variant direction (at a different angle in the transverse plane of the tubes) from the direction
of insertion at the next axially adjacent location. This may leave the tubes without staked
support in some parts of the bundle, normally in the middle of the bundle where access from
the periphery is precluded.
When the tube support stakes are inserted into the tube bundle, the raised tube-engaging
zones have to be pushed past the tubes until the stake is in its proper place in the bundle.
With the dimpled type of tube stake, each row of dimples has to be pushed through the gap
between each pair of facing tubes until the stake is in place. Because the total depth of the
tube engaging zones (peak-to-valley including plate thickness) is preferably greater than the
inter-tube spacing, the tubes have to bend slightly to let the dimples pass. Although this
maintains the stake in place when it is in its final position, it makes insertion that much more
difficult as the resistance to bending of each row of tubes has to be overcome.
In previous tube support types, the end of the tube stake may be provided with a tubeengaging crook, to hook over the end of a tube on one side of the tube lane to prevent
withdrawal of the stake in one direction. Alternatively, the stakes may be folded into a Ushaped or hairpin configuration.
Insertion of the tube stakes into the tube bundle is facilitated by first inserting a metal bar with
beveled edges having a thickness that is slightly greater than the total depth of the stake
(including the dimples or other raised zones) after which the stake is inserted into place and
the metal bar is slowly removed to ensure the proper locking in of the tubes and the tube
stake. The bar may also be used in a similar manner to facilitate removal of the stakes. The
stakes may be inserted at axial locations determined by experience or by vibration studies for
the relevant equipment. The stakes may be inserted into the bundle in different transverse
directions at different axial locations, for example in a vertical direction at the first axial
location, in the horizontal at the second location, followed in alternate sequential manner at
successive axial locations along the length of the tube bundle.

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Geometric Parameters:
The number of dimples may be varied according to the width of the support strip and the
depth (or height) of the dimples. The total depth (d) of the dimples (peak to valley, including
plate thickness) will naturally be related to the separation between the tubes which are to be
engaged by the tube-engaging zones of the strip, i.e. to the dimension of the tube lane. It will
also vary according to the diameter of the tubes because this will affect the level (relative to
the tube) at which engagement will occur when the stake is in place in the tube bundle.
Typically, the total depth of the tube-engaging zones, d, will be from 0.5 to 2 mm, preferably
0.5 to 1.5 mm greater than the spacing between the tubes at the point where tube
engagement occurs so that a tube deflection of similar magnitude is achieved at this point.
The exact deflection achieved in practice will be less than the total depth of the stake
because the dimples fit around the tube but this stake depth will normally be found suitable to
give a tube deflection which provides good support and vibration resistance and results in a
very rigid tube bundle.
The elasticity of the support itself and the elasticity of the tubes, coupled with engagement
between the raised tube-engaging zones and the tubes will not only make the tubes more
resistant to vibration but also retain the support in place in the bundle. Desirably, the total
depth of the tube-engaging zones (the tip-to-valley distance including strip thickness, d), is
selected so that each support deflects the tube from its rest position with a minor tube
deflection, typically about 0.5 to 2 mm. This is a feature of the support stake which permits
the use of a less number of stakes about 50% fewer than would otherwise be needed. One
advantage of tube support is that relatively wide tube lanes can be accommodated without
deep pressing of the strips since about half the tube lane dimension is taken up by each
raised zone.
In addition to the total depth, the thickness and stiffness of the metal of the strip will be
factors in fixing the final tube deflection when the stakes are inserted into the bundle.
Normally, with the metals of choice, a strip thickness of from 1 to 2 mm will be satisfactory to
provide adequate tube support and ability to resist the stresses of insertion into the bundle. If,
however, the supports are to be inserted into each tube lane so that the tubes are supported
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on each side by a stake, the total depth, d, may be made equal to the tube lane dimension. In
general terms, therefore, the total depth of the support will be from 0 to 2 mm greater than
the separation between the tubes.
Tube-engaging zones in the form of circular dimples are easy to fabricate but dimples of
other shapes may also be used, for example, dimples with a triangular, rectangular, square
or other polygonal form or with an elliptical or an oval (race-course) shape.
In case of the triangular tube formation, the tubes on opposite sides of a tube lane are both
supported by the tube stake, receiving their support from the tube-engaging zones extending
out from both faces of the strip but, in this case, the support is given in a staggered,
alternating manner which matches the staggered, alternating tube formation. Because the
effective gap between the tubes (tube lane dimension) in the triangular tube formation is
smaller than that of the rectangular formation, the plate thickness as well as the total depth of
the dimples (peak to valley, including plate thickness) will typically be smaller than that for the
rectangular arrangement.
Material Selection:
The tube stakes should suitably be made of a metal which can resist corrosion in the
environment of the tube bundle device and hard enough. Normally stainless steel will be
satisfactory. Stainless SS 304 is suitable except when chloride corrosion is to be expected
when duplex stainless steel will be preferred. Additions of nitrogen promote structural
hardening by interstitial solid solution mechanism, which raises the yield strength and
ultimate strength values without impairing toughness. They are also notable for high thermal
conductivity low coefficient of thermal expansion, good sulfide stress corrosion resistance
and higher heat conductivity than austenitic steels as well as good workability and weld
ability. Normally, duplex grades such as 2304, 2205 will be adequate for heat exchanger
service with recognized corrosion resistance requirements.

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Mock-Up:
M/s. Larsen & Toubro Limited has manufactured a number of DTS supports from the dies
made by companys vendors.
Also, we made a mock-up bundle with loose baffles in which we have implemented DTS
supports to check whether it is able to stiffen the bundle and solve its purpose to reduce
vibration. We implemented DTS with metallurgy carbon steel & stainless steel and checked
the stiffness of bundle by changing the span with help of loose type baffles. And this has
been done under the supervision of person from M/s. Exxonmobil.
Advantages & Applications:

These devices allow greater flow rates with minimizing vibration damage.
Re-use of bundle that failed due to flow induced vibration
These devices allow use of fewer baffles decreasing shell side pressure drop by as
much as 75%.
These technologies allow optimum design with optimum performance by almost
removing vibration potential saving significant capital and operating costs.
DTS can be implemented in all types of tube layouts.
DTS technology completely eliminates tube chatter.
DTS & STS technologies are also suitable for vertical tube bundles.
DTS used in U-bends of the tube bundle reduces labor cost and fabrication time.
STS technology is most suitable for fin tubes with softer metallurgy.
DTS is only existing technology that allows reliable vibration mitigation in U-bends and
vertical exchangers.
SBX also helps in decreasing labor cost and improving the technical quality of the
bundle as the slots are fabricated by laser-cutting or water-cutting which are very high
prcised machining processes.

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Limitation:
STS is suitable for in-line arrangement of tubes i.e. rectangular configuration of layout.
In ESB/SBX technologies, with decrease in the pressure drop, the heat-transfer
coefficient also decreases. So, care should be taken to maintain balance in both
pressure drop and heat transfer coefficient to get better performance.
Implementation of these technologies in new bundles is more costly than in existing
one for repair.
The strips to be manufactured very carefully and precisely with accurate dimensions of
the corrugations and dimples so that during insertion tubes may not get damage.
References:
Patent paper from website of World Intellectual Property Organisation (www.wipo.int)
Under the guidance of : Mr. M. Venkatesh
Website: www.freepatents.com

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FPEX Design Symposium

7th Dec., 2007

Chander Pal Verma FPEX - FP1

FPEX Design Symposium

7th Dec., 2007