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Slide 43 of 69
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Brass is frequently specified for the tubes of heat exchangers because it is relatively cheap, strong, corrosion resistant and easily soldered. It is also used elsewhere when similar properties are required. Precision brass tube is also used for the concentric thin walled tubes to make collapsible aerials and pointers.
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Drawing normally makes tubes to size from hollow ‘tubeshells’ produced by extrusion. They are then cold drawn to size by a succession of passes, with interstage anneals as required and supplied either in straight lengths or coil. A selection of brasses is available with properties to suit applications from telescopic aerials to marine condensers.
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Normally brass tubes are thought of as being circular, with tolerances on inside and outside diameters that make them easy to join with standard fittings. However, tubes can in fact be made by many different techniques to bespoke shapes and sizes. They can be square, circular, or hexagonal. They can be made twisted or indented. They can be fluted, fined, decoratively patterned or grooved. The inside shapes can be different from the outside and can have specified wall thicknesses, uniform or uneven. For example a round hole inside a square tube is often needed to ensure correct flow of coolant. Another frequent need is for an oblong tube with the corners either square or typically radiused to half the wall thickness. Often, one side must be significantly thicker than the other. For tubular heat exchangers such as oil coolers there are concentric tubes, the flow of coolant can be made turbulent by helical grooves or raised ridges.