Unlocking Circular Economy Opportunity Through Tube-Induced Vibrations Mitigation in Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers

Shell and tube heat exchangers are core components in a wide variety of industrial systems, from power generation and petrochemical processing through HVAC and desalination facilities. Strong in structure and efficient in thermals, these devices are vulnerable to flow-induced vibrations (FIV) that lead to tube wear, fatigue failure, and compromised performance. This paper provides an overview of tube-induced shell and tube heat exchanger vibrations due to physical forces, their analytical, numerical, and experimental modeling, and current-day state-of-the-art design and mitigation techniques. A multi-disciplinary approach with a focus on fluid mechanics, structural dynamics, and heat transfer is emphasized throughout. Moreover, a case study is presented to show the impact of stiffening the tubes to mitigate FIV.