Finned Tube Heat Exchanger
Helical, L-foot or extruded fin geometries match the gas-side film coefficient — used in air coolers, economizers and waste-heat recovery.
- Air coolers
- Economizers
- Flue-gas heat recovery
- · Plate / tube material
- · Design pressure & temperature
- · Connection type and size
- · Code and certification
Overview
A Finned Tube Heat Exchanger uses extended surface (fins) on the gas side of a tube bundle to compensate for the much lower film coefficient of gases compared with liquids. The fins multiply the effective heat-transfer area by 10× to 25×, allowing economic heat transfer between a process liquid (or condensing steam) and ambient or process air.
Typical fin geometries include helical wrap-on fins, L-foot / LL-foot wound fins, extruded bi-metallic fins (aluminum extruded over a steel tube), and serrated / segmented fins for higher gas-side turbulence. Tubes are arranged in inline or staggered pitch patterns inside a steel casing with axial or centrifugal fans, or natural draft.
Common applications are air-cooled heat exchangers (ACHE), economizers on boilers and gas turbines, flue-gas heat recovery, refrigeration condensers, process gas coolers and HVAC coils.
Operating Conditions
| Tube-side design pressure | Up to 10 MPa (100 bar), service-dependent |
| Design temperature | Up to +400 °C continuous (alloy and fin type dependent) |
| Gas-side velocity | Optimized for low pressure drop and acoustic limits |
| Construction | Air-cooled bundles, finned-tube coils, economizer panels |
Materials of Construction
| Tubes | Carbon steel, stainless, copper, copper-nickel, titanium |
| Fins | Aluminum (1050/1100), carbon steel, stainless, copper |
| Fin attachment | Wrap-on tension, L-foot, embedded G-fin, extruded bi-metallic, welded serrated |
| Casing | Carbon steel painted, galvanized, or stainless for corrosive ambient |
Selection Parameters
Information our engineering team uses to size and quote this unit.
- Gas composition, dust loading and dew point
- Tube-side fluid, pressure, temperature and duty
- Ambient design temperature and altitude
- Allowable footprint and noise level
- Required materials (carbon, stainless, bi-metallic) based on gas chemistry and temperature
RFQ Data Checklist
Send the items below with your inquiry for the fastest accurate quotation.
- Gas analysis (composition, dust, dew point, mass flow)
- Tube-side fluid and full process data
- Inlet/outlet temperatures and required duty
- Site ambient conditions and altitude
- Footprint, noise and power constraints
- Materials and fin geometry preferences
Industry Cases
Carbon-steel bare tubes with welded serrated fins, recovering heat from 350 °C flue gas to feed-water.
Lube-oil cooling on a remote gas-compression station with no available cooling water.
Extruded bi-metallic finned-tube bundle on the exhaust duct of a small gas turbine driving an ORC system.
Frequently Asked Questions
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