Patent ID: 9429365
Filing Date: 2016-08-30
CPC Classification: B21D,F28D,F28F,Y10T

Claim Text:
1. Method of manufacturing a heat exchanger tube sheet, comprising: arranging sealing elements on respective ends of heat exchanger tubes, vertically arranging said ends of the heat exchanger tubes having the sealing elements at predetermined positions in a mould, sealing said ends of the heat exchanger tubes such that a tube sheet material to be casted in the mould does not enter the heat exchanger tubes during casting of the tube sheet material, casting the tube sheet material in the mould for covering the sealing elements, hardening of the tube sheet material in the mould, wherein a metal insert is arranged in the mould, wherein the metal insert comprises a plurality of through holes, and wherein end portions of said ends of the heat exchanger tubes having the sealing elements are inserted into the through holes of the metal insert, and wherein, when the end portions of said ends have been inserted into the through holes of the metal insert, said ends of the heat exchanger tubes are sealed by the sealing elements sealing the heat exchanger tubes and the metal insert with respect to each other, and wherein the tube sheet material is cast onto the metal insert for covering the sealing elements and portions of the heat exchanging tubes extending above the sealing elements, and wherein the through holes each comprise a lower portion having a first internal diameter, a connection portion extending radially from the lower portion, and an upper portion extending from the connecting portion and having a second internal diameter which is greater than the first internal diameter, and wherein the external diameter of the heat exchanger tubes is smaller than the first internal diameter, and wherein the external diameter of the sealing elements arranged on said ends of heat exchanger tubes is greater than the first internal diameter and smaller than the second internal diameter, and wherein the tube sheet material is casted onto the upper portions of the through holes, directly contacting an upper surface of the sealing elements.