Support system for tube bundle devices

A tube bundle device comprising:

• a plurality of parallel tubes, wherein the plurality of parallel tubes are arranged in a triangular configuration such that the tubes that are located within an interior of the plurality of parallel tubes are adjacent and spaced from six surrounding tubes;
• a plurality of tube support elements, wherein a select number of tubes in the plurality of parallel tubes having the tube support elements located thereon, wherein each tube support element includes support coils of a helically wound material, wherein at least a portion of the length of each of the tubes having the tube support element located thereon is contained within an interior circumference of the support coil, wherein the surrounding tubes being in contact with an exterior circumference of the support coil, wherein the surrounding tubes with no tube support element located thereon being in contact only with support elements;
• and
• at least one transverse sealing strip located in a segmental region around the periphery of the tube bundle to maintain flow of fluid into the tube bundle away from the segmental region along the length of the bundle,
• wherein each of the at least one transverse sealing strip comprising a tubular segment having a spacer/support element comprising helically wound material surrounding at least a portion of the length of the strip.

A shell-and-tube heat exchanger comprising:

• a shell;
• a tube bundle contained within the shell,
• wherein the tube bundle having a plurality of parallel tubes arranged in a triangular configuration such that the tubes that are located within an interior of the tube bundle are adjacent and spaced from six surrounding tubes, wherein the tubes in the tube bundle having spacer/support elements located thereon, wherein each spacer/support element comprising helically wound material in which at least a portion of the length of each of the tubes having the spacer/support element is contained within the interior circumference of a support coil, wherein the radial thickness of the coil material approximating the space between adjacent tubes to space the tubes in the bundle apart by a distance approximately the radial thickness of the coil material, wherein each tube with a spacer/support coil being in contact only with tubes which do not have a spacer/support coil and each tube without a spacer/support coil is in contact only with tubes which have a spacer/support coil;
• and
• at least one tie rod for the tube bundle,
• wherein each of the at least one tie rod comprises a rod having surface spacer/support element located thereon, wherein the surface spacer/support element comprising helically wound material surrounding at least a portion of the length of the tie rod, the radial thickness of the coil material surrounding the rods approximating the space between each tie rod and at least one tube of the tube bundle to space the rods from the tubes apart by a distance approximately the radial thickness of the coil material.