There are many sources of cooler vibration, and one or more of them may be the source of harmful vibration. The pulsation caused by reciprocating machinery is a source of excitation; "Some vibrations transmitted through supporting members or connecting pipes are another source of excitation. Because the frequency of these types of excitation sources is determined by the system, they are relatively predictable.". The mechanism of hydrodynamic excitation is relatively difficult to predict.

Fluid flow excitation can be divided into two types: that is, excitation by flow parallel to the pipe axis (called longitudinal flow) and excitation by flow perpendicular to the pipe axis (called transverse flow). Transverse flow can generally cause large amplitude, which is very harmful to the pipes of the cooler.

1) Reduce the linear speed of the shell side. When the flow cannot be changed, increase the pipe center distance or increase the shell diameter

2) The effective way to increase the natural frequency of the pipe is to shorten the unsupported long span length of the pipe or change the pipe material to increase the wall thickness, but the effect is not as good as that of Method 1.

3) Changing the form of the baffle plate or using a baffle rod can also change the arrangement of the tubes while satisfying heat transfer and pressure drop

4) When the nozzle vibrates, the diameter of the nozzle can be increased