Method for installing a tube in a heat exchanger tube sheet

• Main Authors: STILLER, RICHARD L, VOLLMER, REGIS R, SHAFFER, ROBERT, SMITH, EDWARD H
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 12.08.1980
• Subjects: COMBINED OPERATIONS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; MACHINE TOOLS; MECHANICAL METAL-WORKING WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVINGMATERIAL; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; OTHER WORKING OF METAL; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PUNCHING METAL; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TRANSPORTING; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS; WORKING OR PROCESSING OF SHEET METAL OR METAL TUBES, RODS ORPROFILES WITHOUT ESSENTIALLY REMOVING MATERIAL

A method for inserting a tube through a tubesheet aperture and expanding it into contact with the aperture's wall. A tube guide-expander device is assembled in an open end of a tube with a portion of the device protruding from the tube. The guide-expander includes a distally protruding tip portion tapered to diverge in a direction toward the tube so as to facilitate insertion of the guide-expander and engaged tube through apertures in spatially separated tube supports and tubesheet. The guide-expander and tube engaged therewith are axially displaced relative to the tubesheet until the desired relative configuration is obtained. Expansion of the tube results from expanding the assembled tube guide-expander and driving the housing tube in the radial direction against the tubesheet aperture's wall. Such guide-expander expansion obtains from relatively axially displacing two structural components and compressing an interposed, radially expansible structure.