Protection device for a shell-and-tube equipment

Shell-and-tube equipment comprising:

• a shell that surrounds a tube bundle,
• wherein said tube bundle comprises a plurality of tubes,
• wherein at least one end of each of the plurality of tubes is joined to an inlet tube-sheet provided with respective tube-sheet bores for inletting a fluid in the shell-and-tube equipment,
• wherein the inlet tube-sheet is provided with a first side having a first outer surface of the inlet tube-sheet, which receives the fluid, and with a second side having a second outer surface of the inlet tube-sheet, which is opposite to said first side and on which the tubes are joined,
• wherein the inlet tube-sheet is connected to each tube of the tube bundle on said second side in such a way that each tube extends outwardly from the second outer surface and does not extend inside the respective tube-sheet bore,
• wherein the inlet tube-sheet is provided, on at least part of said tube-sheet bores, with respective tubular protection devices extending outwardly from the inlet tube-sheet for protecting said tube-sheet bores from local turbulence and erosion due to the fluid flowing into said tube-sheet bores,
• wherein each tube-sheet bore extends from the first outer surface to the second outer surface and has a constant internal diameter,
• wherein each tubular protection device is a tube that extends outwardly from said first outer surface of the inlet tube-sheet at a respective tube-sheet bore and does not extend inside the respective tube-sheet bore,
• wherein there is no physical contact between the tubular protection devices and the tubes of the shell-and-tube equipment,
• wherein an inner diameter of the tubes is equal to an inner diameter of the tube-sheet bores and an inner diameter of the tubular protection devices, and
• wherein a surface of the tube-sheet bores is monolithically formed with the tube-sheet.