SPINTUBE Advantage

Whether it's a new installation or debottlenecking project, the construction of SPINTUBE bundles increases throughput by up to 40% versus conventional shell and tube exchangers while still allowing the same methods for inspection and cleaning. SPINTUBE also completely eliminates flow induced vibrations.

Increased Performance

A SPINTUBE replacement bundle creates additional turbulence and with tubes in direct contact with one another the number of tubes per shell diameter is increased. As a consequence retro-fitting SPINTUBE increases thermal performance in the same shell by up to 40%.

SPINTUBE Parameters

No limitations on tube material and thickness. Tube diameters from 3/8" to 11/4". Tube spin is engineered according to service. Can be cleaned using conventional water-jet methods.

Applications

Crude pre-heat trains, cooler trains (amine service), condensers, reboilers and vaporizers, feed-effluent exchangers including horizontal, high pressure units e.g. hydrocrackers, and vertical exchangers e.g. Texas Towers, compressor gas coolers.

Features and Benefits

Thermal performance improvements up to 40%, improved hydraulic performance (reduced shell-side pressure drop), custom design, minimized project scope, improved efficiency and throughput, vibration problems eliminated, easy cleaning.

Choose SPINTUBE™ for your next project

Spintube replacement bundle

  • Increased heat transfer area for same shell ID
  • Additional turbulence increases tube-side heat transfer
  • Improved tube-side heat transfer for boiling and transition phase
  • Improved shell-side heat transfer and lower pressure drop due to longitudinal flow
  • Tube-side fouling mitigation thanks to the swirl flow
  • Shell-side fouling mitigation due to longitudinal flow and un-baffled design without dead zones
  • Higher efficiency due to true counter-current flow with (hairpin shrouded) shell
  • No tube flow induced vibrations

Spintube bundle

Spintube bundle cleaning

  • Reduced shell dimension and weight for equivalent performance
  • Reduced number of shells in heat exchanger trains for equivalent performance and reduced costs
  • Increased performance while retaining current shell dimensions and weight
  • No need to change nozzle locations thanks to shell E to F conversion
  • Retro-fit to any existing TEMA type with no additional pipework requirements
  • Easy cleaning

SPINTUBE™ versus conventional shell and tube heat exchangers

The following examples highlight how two refineries were able to improve heat exchanger throughput by retro-fitting with SPINTUBE™.
 

  Plain Tube SPINTUBE™   Plain Tube SPINTUBE™  
TEMA Type BEU BFU

Shrouded E to F conversion, true counter current flow

BEU BFU Shrouded E to F conversion, true counter current flow
Shell ID (mm) 1286 1286   1242 1242  
Tube Size (mm) 25.4 22.23   19.05 19.05  
No. of Tubes 530-U 801-U +34% 775-U 1008-U +23%
Tube Pitch (mm) 31.75 26.2   25.4 22.5  
Heat Transfer Area (m2) 604 769 +22% 566 742 +24%
Duty (MW) - 39.75   - 10.78  
No. of Shells 2 2   1 1  
 
 
 

Technical Library

Download and view literature.

IMB Product Portfolio

IMB brochure covering LABLEX, Hairpin Exchangers, SPINTUBE and other specialty heat exchangers.

Lock Breaking Kit

IMB's lock breaking kit facilitates simpler and safer maintenance of LABLEX units.

SPINTUBE Replacement Bundles

Connect with IMB

SPINTUBE replacement bundles are engineered and built by Chart's IMB subsidiary in Bagnolo, Italy.

IMB  +39 0373 237611