Heat Exchangers

MAJOR COMPONENTS AND THEIR CONSTRUCTION

Tube Sheets for each side: with holes in specific pattern. Also there is
places for screwing tie rods in tubesheet. Partition grooves are made in
tube sheet for multiple passes, inlet and outlet (for multiple pass
exchangers).
Baffle plates: for supporting tubes passing through them and changing
fluid direction in shell side. Spacers on the tie rods keep the distance
between adjacent baffle plates.
Tube ends (After passing through baffle plates) are expanded in internal
groves (qty 2) made in holes in the tube sheet. (sdoc-01) Alternatively
they can be welded to tubesheet.
For floating end separate floating head cover is bolted to the floating
end tube sheet. End cover will have partition plates in case of multi
pass.
Impingment baffle is installed between 1st baffle plate and tube sheet to
prevent fluid entering in shell side falling directly on the tubes causing
erosion.

CLEANING OF HEAT EXCHANGERS:

Accumulation of scale on heat transfer surfaces is called fouling.
In case scale isn’t hard, tube cleaning is done by high pressure water
jetting produced by machine called liqua blaster.
Cutter drills are used for hard scale; Mounted on motor shaft with
flushing liquid introduced through that shaft discharging at drill tip.
Chemicals such as CTC (Carbon tetra Chloride) are also used to avoid
tube harm by mechanical cleaning.

TUBE LEAKAGE DETECTION

Tube leakage is suspected when change in chemical composition
(temperature, pressure) is observed at exchanger outlet. To detect tube
leak:
Exchanger is isolated. Test pressure (water) applied on inlet of shell as
per specs and held for certain time. Water drops come out of leaky
tubes which are plugged and exchanger is tested and taken back into
service. (10 to 15 % of tubes plugged are allowable).
TYPES
 Spiral (lamount boiler)
 Plate type
 Double pipe
 Shell and tube