Evaluation of Tube-to-Tubesheet Junctions

The strength of tube-to-tubesheet joints is influenced by many factors such as method of attachment, details of construction, and material property. In this report three methods of attachment are investigated. They are uniform expansion, mechanical rolling, and welding. Details of construction studied in this report are: the finish of tubesheet hole surface; grooved versus ungrooved tubesheets; and groove geometry. The effect of material property on the joint strength was investigated for carbon steel and titanium tubes attached to carbon steel tubesheet. The results indicate that a theoretical prediction of the behavior of joints is feasible for various materials, methods of attachment, and details of construction.