Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger
Custom shell and tube heat exchangers in TEMA fixed-tubesheet, U-tube, floating-head and double-tubesheet configurations, with tube materials from carbon steel and stainless to titanium and copper-nickel selected for your process.
- Oil coolers
- Steam condensers
- Reactor heating
- Process gas cooling
- · Plate / tube material
- · Design pressure & temperature
- · Connection type and size
- · Code and certification
Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger Overview
A Shell & Tube Heat Exchanger is the classical industrial heat-transfer construction: a bundle of tubes enclosed in a cylindrical pressure shell, with one medium flowing through the tubes and the other across the outside of the tube bundle. Configurations follow TEMA designations (BEM, BEU, AES, NEN, etc.) and the unit can be single- or multi-pass on both sides.
Shanghai Jiangxing manufactures shell-and-tube exchangers in fixed-tubesheet, U-tube, floating-head and double-tubesheet variants, with carbon-steel, stainless, titanium and nickel-alloy materials of construction. ASME, PED/CE and other project-specific requirements can be reviewed and confirmed according to the selected product, design conditions and order scope.
Shell-and-tube units remain the standard choice where the design pressure or temperature exceeds plate-exchanger limits, where the fluid is dirty or two-phase, where very large duties are required, or where the customer's specifications mandate a code-stamped pressure vessel.
Operating Conditions
| Design pressure | Project-specific; full vacuum through high-pressure designs are quoted case by case and confirmed at design review |
| Design temperature | Set per project from the selected materials, gaskets/seals and applicable code — cryogenic and high-temperature ranges are reviewed individually |
| Tube diameter | Ø19 / Ø25 / Ø32 mm standard; other sizes on request |
| Tube length | Up to 12 m |
| Heat transfer area | From 1 m² up to several thousand m² per unit |
Materials of Construction
| Tubes | Carbon steel, 304/316L stainless, 254 SMO, titanium, copper-nickel 90/10 and 70/30, Inconel, Monel, Hastelloy |
| Tubesheet | Forged carbon or stainless, optionally clad with titanium / nickel for chloride-rich services |
| Shell | Carbon steel, low-temperature carbon steel, stainless, with appropriate impact testing |
| Baffles | Segmental, double-segmental, or helical for low-vibration low-Δp duty |
Selection Parameters
Information our engineering team uses to size and quote this unit.
- TEMA type required (front head / shell / rear head)
- Tube-side and shell-side fluids, including phase change
- Design and operating pressure / temperature on both sides
- Required heat duty and allowable pressure drop
- Materials of construction for tubes, shell, tubesheet, and gaskets
- Applicable code (ASME, PED, GB), inspection class, NDE requirements
- Bundle type: fixed, U-tube, floating-head, double-tubesheet
RFQ Data Checklist
Send the items below with your inquiry for the fastest accurate quotation.
- Process data sheet (both sides)
- Design conditions, code, and inspection requirements
- Materials of construction and any specified test (PMI, hydro, helium leak)
- TEMA configuration and bundle type preference
- Nozzle orientation, footprint and weight constraints
Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger Industry Applications
Typical configuration example: CuNi 90/10 tube bundle for vessel main-engine cooling. Any classification-society review or approval scope is confirmed per order.
Typical configuration example: steam-heated shell-and-tube exchanger on a fine-chemical reactor. Design code, stamping and NDT/radiography scope are confirmed per order.
Carbon-steel shell with stainless tubes, designed for high-temperature compressor discharge cooling.
Lube-oil to cooling-water exchanger, double-tubesheet to prevent cross-contamination.
Shell-and-Tube vs Gasketed Plate Heat Exchanger
The classic make-or-buy decision in process heat transfer. Shell-and-tube wins on pressure, temperature, fouling tolerance and phase change. Gasketed plate wins on footprint, efficiency and close approach temperatures with clean media.
| Shell-and-Tube (STHE) | Gasketed Plate (GPHE) | |
|---|---|---|
| Heat transfer coefficient (U) | 300 – 1,500 W/m²·K typical | 3,000 – 7,000 W/m²·K typical |
| Footprint for same duty | Baseline — significantly larger | ≈ 1/3 the floor area |
| Hold-up volume | Large shell-side volume | ≈ 1/5 the fluid volume |
| Closest approach temperature | Practically 5 – 10 °C | As low as 1 °C |
| Max design pressure | Project-specific; set by the selected construction, materials and design code | Project-specific; limited by frame, plate and gasket selection |
| Max design temperature | Project-specific; set by the selected materials and design code | Project-specific; limited by the selected gasket compound |
| Phase change duties | Excellent — condensers, reboilers, vaporizers | Limited — partial vaporization only |
| Tolerance to fouling / solids | Tolerant — large tubes, mechanical cleaning | Sensitive — narrow channels |
| Maintenance | Pull tube bundle, mechanical or chemical cleaning | Open frame, clean every plate, replace gaskets |
| Best-fit duties | High pressure/temperature, dirty service, vaporizers, condensers, large refineries | District heating, HVAC, dairy/food, process cooling with clean media |
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sourcing, verification and next steps
Every unit is engineered to the confirmed duty, materials and inspection scope of the order. Design codes, test certificates and third-party inspection are quoted as options and confirmed per project rather than assumed. See our heat exchanger manufacturing and OEM capability, the quality control and inspection workflow, and the heat exchanger cost guide for what drives price. For a first-pass thermal check, use the heat exchanger sizing calculator, then send your process data for a quotation.
Need a Heat Exchanger for Your Project?
Send your working conditions, drawing or datasheet. Blair will review your request and help confirm the next step.