How thick is heat exchanger pipe?

Common Wall Thickness Ranges for Heat Exchanger Tubes

1. Typical Thickness (in inches)

• Typical tube wall thickness ranges from 16 gauge (about 0.065 inches) to 10 gauge (about 0.135 inches), with thicker walls used for higher-pressure applications.

• In practice, common minimum wall thickness is around 0.083 inches, and average wall thickness is about 0.095 inches.

2. International Standards (in millimeters)

• ISO standards specify: outside diameter range 6 mm–89 mm, wall thickness range 1.0 mm – 8.1 mm.

• U.S. standards generally adopt wall thickness from 0.049 inches – 0.120 inches (about 1.24 mm – 3.05 mm).

3. Tube Size and Thickness Relationship

• Common tube outside diameters range from ½ inch to 2 inches, with ¾ inch being the most widely used.

• For ¾ inch OD (about 19.05 mm), this size is the most common in industrial applications.

Summary Table: Typical Wall Thickness

Key Factors Affecting Wall Thickness Selection

1. Operating Pressure and Temperature – Higher-pressure or high-temperature environments require thicker walls for safety and structural integrity.

2. Heat Transfer Efficiency – Thinner walls improve heat transfer but may reduce mechanical strength.

3. Applicable Standards – International (e.g., ISO) or regional (e.g., U.S. ASA) standards define allowable thickness ranges.

4. Manufacturing Tolerances – Production tolerances allow ±10% variation, so actual wall thickness may deviate slightly from the nominal value.

Conclusion

For shell-and-tube heat exchangers, typical tube wall thickness generally falls between 0.065 inches and 0.135 inches (about 1.65 mm to 3.43 mm). Depending on application requirements, the broader range may be 1.0 mm to 8.1 mm per ISO standards, or 0.049 inches to 0.120 inches (about 1.24 mm to 3.05 mm) per U.S. standards.