ASME SA179 Extruded Finned Tube for Air-Cooled Heat Exchanger
Our ASME SA179 Extruded Finned Tubes for Air-Cooled Heat Exchangers are designed to increase the external heat-transfer surface area of seamless carbon steel tubes, providing an efficient solution for air-side heat transfer applications.
The base tube is manufactured from ASME SA179 / ASTM A179 seamless cold-drawn low-carbon steel, while the fin layer is typically made from aluminum alloy. Through a controlled extrusion process, the aluminum fin material is mechanically bonded around the tube and formed into continuous fins.
This bimetallic construction combines the mechanical strength and pressure-bearing capability of the SA179 tube with the excellent thermal conductivity and lightweight characteristics of aluminum. The resulting finned tube is particularly suitable for air-cooled heat exchangers where the air-side heat-transfer resistance is a major consideration.
Compared with a bare tube, the extended fin surface provides a significantly larger heat-transfer area within a similar equipment footprint, helping heat exchanger designers achieve the required thermal duty with a more compact tube bundle.
- Base tube material: ASME SA179 / ASTM A179 seamless carbon steel
- Fin type: Extruded fin
- Typical fin material: Aluminum alloy
- Tube construction: Seamless cold-drawn tube
- Fin-to-tube connection: Mechanically bonded through extrusion
- Application: Air-Cooled Heat Exchangers and related air-side heat-transfer equipment
- High external surface area: Continuous fins provide an enlarged heat-transfer surface
- Good thermal contact: Mechanical bonding minimizes the contact resistance between the tube and fin layer
- Lightweight fin structure: Aluminum fins provide efficient heat transfer without significantly increasing tube-bundle weight
- Suitable for customized designs: Tube diameter, wall thickness, fin height, fin thickness, pitch and length can be manufactured according to project requirements
ASME SA179 extruded finned tubes are commonly used in:
- Air-Cooled Heat Exchangers (ACHE)
- Fin-Fan Heat Exchangers
- Air-Cooled Condensers
- Process Fluid Coolers
- Gas Coolers
- Oil Coolers
- Compressor Cooling Systems
- Petrochemical Process Cooling Equipment
- Refinery Heat Transfer Equipment
- Industrial HVAC and refrigeration equipment
- General industrial heat exchangers
For process plants, these finned tubes are particularly useful where cooling is performed by ambient air instead of cooling water, helping reduce dependence on water-based cooling systems.
The actual tube and fin dimensions are normally selected according to the thermal design, tube bundle configuration, operating conditions and customer drawings.
| Parameter | Typical Supply Range |
|---|---|
| Base Tube OD | 12.7 – 50.8 mm |
| Base Tube Wall Thickness | 1.5 – 4.5 mm |
| Tube Length | Up to approximately 18,000 mm, subject to transportation and equipment requirements |
| Fin Height | 5 – 20 mm |
| Fin Thickness | 0.25 – 0.60 mm |
| Fin Pitch | 1.5 – 5.0 mm |
| Fins per Meter | Approximately 200 – 667 fins/m |
| Fin Material | Aluminum alloy, commonly selected according to service conditions |
| Fin Type | Extruded / Integral-type aluminum fin |
| Tube Material | ASME SA179 |
ASME SA179 specifies a low-carbon steel suitable for seamless heat exchanger and condenser tubes. Its relatively simple chemical composition provides good cold-working characteristics and supports the manufacturing requirements of drawn seamless tubing.
| Element | Chemical Requirement, % |
| Carbon (C) | 0.06 – 0.18 |
| Manganese (Mn) | 0.27 – 0.63 |
| Phosphorus (P) | ≤ 0.035 |
| Sulfur (S) | ≤ 0.035 |
The low carbon content is one of the characteristic features of SA179. The material is intended primarily for heat-transfer service rather than high-temperature alloy-steel applications.
The mechanical properties below apply to the SA179 base tube, not to the complete bimetallic finned-tube assembly.
| Mechanical Property | Requirement |
| Tensile Strength | ≥ 325 MPa |
| Yield Strength | ≥ 180 MPa |
| Elongation in 50 mm | ≥ 35% |
The combination of adequate strength and good ductility makes SA179 suitable for cold-drawn seamless tubing used in heat exchangers and condensers.
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