Strong acoustic resonance with acoustic pressures reaching up to $165dB$ developed in the boiler bank of a package boiler at full load. At first, the resonance developed at a lower frequency in the downstream portion of the tube bank and was suppressed by an acoustic baffle covering the downstream section of the flow channel. After about one year of operation, a second resonant condition developed. Tests confirmed that, again, a strong resonant condition developed at a higher frequency in the unbaffled upstream portion of the flow channel. Computer analysis confirmed that the initial resonance occurred at the first acoustic mode of the flow channel while the follow-up resonance occurred at the second mode of the flow channel expressed as a first-mode resonance in a different (upstream) location. An extension of the acoustic baffle covering the entire depth of the tube bank eliminated the vibration. This paper gives a description of the problem and summarizes the theoretical and experimental results substantiating the findings.

1.
Weaver
,
D. S.
, 1993, “
Vortex Shedding and Acoustic Resonance in Heat Exchanger Tube Arrays
,”
Technology for the ’90s, Pressure Vessel and Piping Division
,
ASME
, New York, pp.
777
810
.
2.
Paidoussis
,
M. P.
, 1980, “
Flow-Induced Vibration in Nuclear Reactors and Heat Exchangers
,”
Practical Experiences and State of Knowledge, IUTAM-IAHR Symposium on Practical-Experiences with Flow-Induced Vibration
,
Naudascher
,
E.
, and
Rockwell
,
D.
, eds.,
Springer-Verlag
, Berlin, pp.
1
81
.
3.
Blevins
,
R. D.
, and
Bressler
,
M. M.
, 1987, “
Acoustic Resonance in Heat Exchanger Tube Bundles—I: Physical Nature of the Phenomena
,”
ASME J. Pressure Vessel Technol.
0094-9930,
109
, pp.
275
281
.
4.
Blevins
,
R. D.
, and
Bressler
,
M. M.
, 1987, “
Acoustic Resonance in Heat Exchanger Tube Bundles—II: Prediction and Suppression of Resonance
,”
ASME J. Pressure Vessel Technol.
0094-9930,
109
, pp.
282
288
.
5.
Blevins
,
R. D.
, 1984, “
Review of Sound Induced by Vortex Shedding From Cylinders
,”
J. Sound Vib.
0022-460X,
92
, pp.
455
490
.
6.
Blevins
,
R. D.
, 1990,
Flow-Induced Vibration
,
Van Nostrand Reinhold
, New York.
7.
Eisinger
,
F. L.
,
Francis
,
J. T.
, and
Sullivan
,
R. E.
, 1996, “
Prediction of Acoustic Vibration in Steam Generator and Heat Exchanger Tube Banks
,”
ASME J. Pressure Vessel Technol.
0094-9930,
118
, pp.
221
236
.
8.
Eisinger
,
F. L.
, and
Sullivan
,
R. E.
, 1996, “
Experience With Unusual Acoustic Vibration in Heat Exchanger and Steam Generator Tube Banks
,”
J. Fluids Struct.
0889-9746,
10
, pp.
99
107
.
9.
Eisinger
,
F. L.
, and
Sullivan
,
R. E.
, 2005, “
Acoustic Vibration Behavior of Full Size Steam Generator and Tubular Heat Exchanger Tube Banks—A Brief Note
,”
Proc. of ASME Conference on Flow induced Vibration
, July, Denver,
ASME
, New York, ASME Paper No. PVP 2005-71661.
10.
Eisinger
,
F. L.
, and
Sullivan
,
R. E.
, 2003, “
Suppression of Acoustic Waves in Steam Generator and Heat Exchanger Tube Banks
,”
ASME J. Pressure Vessel Technol.
0094-9930,
125
, pp.
221
227
.
11.
Kinsler
,
L. E.
, and
Fray
,
A. R.
, 1962,
Fundamentals of Acoustics
, 2nd ed.,
Wiley
, New York.
12.
Beranek
,
L. L.
, 1954,
Acoustics
,
McGraw-Hill
, New York.
13.
Weaver
,
D. S.
,