Which features are true of the Fixed Tube Sheet shell and tube exchanger?

The choice regarding fixed tube sheet shell and tube exchangers highlights key aspects of their design and functionality. In a fixed tube sheet exchanger, the tube sheets are indeed welded to the shell, forming a rigid assembly that helps ensure structural integrity and leakage prevention. This characteristic is significant because it affects the maintenance and operational efficiency of the heat exchanger, especially as it pertains to thermal stresses and the potential for corrosion.

Additionally, the design of fixed tube sheet exchangers typically does not allow for relative movement between the tubes and the shell due to thermal expansion. While some designs accommodate expansion through different means, a fixed tube sheet configuration does not include this flexibility. Thus, this lack of provision for thermal expansion emphasizes the necessity of careful material selection and operating conditions to avoid excessive stress or failure.

In contrast, other choices provide features that are not characteristic of fixed tube sheet designs. Some designs indeed allow for tube sheets that extend past the shell for bolting, or for various forms of cleaning, but those features do not typically apply to fixed tube sheet exchangers. Therefore, the mechanical and thermal constraints inherent in fixed tube sheet exchangers validate the correctness of the specific aspects mentioned in the selected choice.