Cross-Flow-Induced-Vibrations in Heat Exchanger Tube Bundles: A Review

Over the past few decades, the utility industry has suffered enormous financial losses because of vibration related problems in steam generators and heat exchangers. Cross-flow induced vibration due to shell side fluid flow around the tubes bundle of shell and tube heat exchanger results in tube vibration. This is a major concern of designers, process engineers and operators, leading to large amplitude motion or large eccentricities of the tubes in their loose supports, resulting in mechanical damage in the form of tube fretting wear, baffle damage, tube collision damage, tube joint leakage or fatigue and creep etc.