Shell and tube heat exchangers are engineered, manufactured and tested in-house, as tailor-made solutions designed for each process: from small units to exchangers with shell diameters above 4,000 mm and heat transfer areas of up to 30,000 m².
Overview
In a shell and tube exchanger, two fluids at different temperatures flow through separate paths, one inside the tubes and one circulating in the shell around them. Heat is transferred through the tube walls without mixing. Counter-current, co-current and cross-flow arrangements are available, and the exchanger is designed according to TEMA, with front head, shell and rear head types selected for the duty. Every unit is sized for its process: fluids, pressures, temperatures, fouling and maintenance requirements define the geometry, the materials and the bundle type.
Main components
Shell; tube bundle; tube sheets; baffles to increase turbulence and improve heat transfer; heads and covers; nozzles and connections for both fluids.
Types and configurations
- Bundle types: fixed, floating head, U-tube, kettle reboiler
- Baffles: single segmental, double segmental, disc and doughnut, no-tube-in-window
- Tube layouts: triangular (30°), square (90°), rotated square (45°); single or multipass (2, 4, 6, 8 passes)
- Fluid types: liquid-liquid, gas-liquid, condensing, vaporising
- Connections: flanged (ANSI/ASME, EN), welded, custom nozzle orientation
Technical range
Shell diameter from 150 mm to more than 4,000 mm; tube length from 0.5 to 15 m; from 20 to 40,000 tubes with outside diameters of 6 to 50 mm and thicknesses of 0.5 to 5 mm; design pressure from vacuum up to 250 bar; design temperature from −50 °C to +500 °C depending on materials; heat transfer area up to 30,000 m².
Materials
All materials are certified and selected according to project requirements and international standards: carbon steel for standard applications; stainless steel 304 and 316L for corrosion resistance and food and pharmaceutical duties; copper and brass for marine and HVAC services; Duplex, Inconel and Hastelloy for harsh environments, offshore and chemical service.
Applications
- Oil & Gas and petrochemical: cooling of process fluids, condensers and reboilers, gas/liquid exchangers
- Power generation and nuclear: steam condensers, turbine oil cooling and process cooling, district heating and nuclear safety systems
- Chemical and process industry: heating and cooling of solvents, acids and chemicals, evaporation and condensation units
- HVAC and marine: seawater cooling, chillers and intercoolers, engine cooling systems
Testing and compliance
Exchangers are designed to ASME VIII Div. 1, EN 13445, PED 2014/68/EU, API 660, TEMA, CODAP and HEI. Tube sheets, shells and bundles are fabricated and machined in-house, with NDT, painting and insulation performed in our own facilities. Testing includes hydrostatic and pneumatic tests, dye penetrant, radiographic and ultrasonic examination and third-party inspection by Lloyd’s, ABS, DNV or TÜV as required. Pressure vessels can be manufactured under the ASME U-Stamp authorisation held by the Group at the Magenta site, and welding is qualified under ISO 3834-2:2021. See our quality and certifications page.
Removable tube bundle designs simplify maintenance over the life of the unit. Shell and tube heat exchangers are supplied by Alex Sistemi within the Group’s 100% in-house production cycle. Contact us with your process data sheet.
