There are many types of finned tubes

Fluids are cooled or heated in flanged tubes, or heat is recovered from waste. Fins are placed on a tube surface that increases its surface area and enhances its thermal properties on the air side of the tube.

You can find a wide variety of finned tubes on the market. We offer a guide to help you decide which is best for your application.

An elongated helical fin

Furthermore, there are 5 types of circular high-finned heat exchanger tubes:

Tubes with fins extruded

The Extruded FinnedTube is ideal when exposed to high temperatures and corrosive conditions. Among the many applications for extruded tubing there are heat pipes, dry air coolers, heat exchangers, dehumidifiers, energy recovery, offshore installations, and remote locations.

‘L’ tubes with fins

L-shaped finned tubes are among the most common types of tube with fins. A maximum amount of surface contact exists between the tube and the fin when using this fin.

Aluminum and copper are available as options for the fin tubes, which are ductile metals that are heat-resistant, compressible, and can be stretched.

‘LL’ tubing with flanges

Finned tubes classified as LL have overlapping feet that encloses and surrounds the base. Through this overlap, the tube cannot move or separate, and corrosion is prevented. Corrosive environments can cause expensive extruded fins to corrode. LLL fins can replace these.

‘KL’ tubes with fins

Fins are machined from a strip of metal, which is one of the characteristics of ‘KL’ finned tubes. Once the fin has been rolled into the pre-knurled tube, it is then secured at each end.

A ‘KL’ finned tube will not deteriorate at temperatures of up to 250°C in addition to better heat transfer.

‘G’ finned tubes embedded within the tube

If high temperatures or high pressures are to be tolerated by embedded heat exchanger tubes, their fin side must be cleaned regularly.

The embedded finned tubes can withstand temperatures up to 400 degrees Celsius by employing carbon steel fins.

Fins that are welded to the HF

Various industrial applications, such as petrochemicals and power generation, require finned tubes welded at high frequency. In this type of heat exchanger, the helical fin is attached to the base using electric resistance welding to ensure efficiency and corrosion resistance.

Integrated fins

When it comes to optimizing heat transfer between fluids, internally finned tubes offer the best option with the smallest footprint and lowest cost. Fins reduce the thickness of the wall below the finned section as they are rolled into and integrated into the tube wall.

Fins that extend longitudinally

Resistance welding creates incredibly efficient longitudinally finned tubes because the fins are placed diametrically opposite one another. A U-channel is fabricated into the base, the tube is rolled, and then the spot welding is done. All fins are multiples of four, and a U-channel is fabricated into the base as well.

Gas coolers and tank heaters can also use longitudinally finned tubes, in addition to heat exchangers and fire-rated heaters. In some cases, the product is made of straight or bent lengths of weldable, brazeable material.