Suppression of Acoustic Waves in Steam Generator and Heat Exchanger Tube Banks

Abstract

Tube banks located in flow channels and exposed to crossflow have a low resistance to acoustic resonance and vibration in general. Such resistance can be increased substantially by placing acoustic baffles inside the tube banks. The locations and the number of baffles play an important role in the degree of their effectiveness of suppressing acoustic waves. One or two baffles placed within a tube bank will raise the threshold to acoustic vibration significantly. Optimum baffle locations suppressing acoustic resonance and vibration or reducing noise levels at resonance can be determined. A general procedure based on acoustic particle velocity mode shape functions is presented for the evaluation of the acoustic baffle effects.