Apparatus for joint sealing using tube expansion and friction welding

An apparatus for joint sealing using tube expansion and friction welding for sealing a tube to a tube sheet, comprising

• a clamping assembly including a collet and a mandrel;
• a tube sheet having at least one aperture formed therein;
• at least one elongate tube positioned in the at least one aperture of the tube sheet, the tube having a first end having an edge;
• at least one elongate tube sleeve having a first end having an edge complementary to the edge of the tube, the edge of the at least one tube sleeve abutting the edge of the at least one tube within the tube sheet aperture, the tube sleeve having a second end adapted for being releasably gripped by a clamping assembly of a friction welding apparatus, wherein the collet having a base adapted for gripping the tube sleeve, the mandrel being sized and configured for extension through the tube sleeve and into the tube and adapted to be friction welded thereto and thereby sealed to the tube sheet;
• a motorized spindle assembly, the spindle assembly releasably gripping the clamping assembly;
• and
• a tube expansion apparatus having means for expanding the tube while an end of the tube is inserted into the at least one aperture in the tube sheet to swage the end of the tube in the tube sheet;
• wherein the swaged end of the tube is abutted against the tube sleeve in the hole in the tube sheet with the mandrel extending through the tube sleeve into the tube and the spindle assembly is rotated to friction weld the tube and the tube sleeve to the tube sheet, thereby sealing the joint between the tube and the tube sheet.