Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Condensers - Heat Exchangers Case Studies
Condensers - Heat Exchangers Case Studies
Condensers - Heat Exchangers Case Studies
2009
CLIENT:
UNITS:
Generator Hydrogen Coolers (13) 108 finned tubes per cooler, Admiralty Brass 24mm OD x 1.2mm wall thickness
PROBLEM:
End-step erosion caused by plastic inserts and high-flow erosion/corrosion at tube ends.
SOLUTION:
Installation of 2,808 Shield/Seals, 200 mm long, into inlet and outlet tube ends. Material used was 70/30 CuNi, required due to the extent of erosion/corrosion of the Brass tubes.
CLIENT:
UNIT:
Turbine Surface Main Condenser Air Cooling Section Two Waterboxes with 391 tubes each, 304SS 1 O.D. x .035 w.t. x 4410 long
PROBLEM:
Air Cooling section of both waterboxes suffering from advanced erosion/corrosion and related tube pluggage.
SOLUTION:
LCRA cut a large enough hole in both waterboxes to enable CTI Technicians to install and hydraulically expand 782 Full Length Tube Liners manufactured from 316L SS material into all designated tubes in both waterboxes. All previously plugged tubes were returned to service enabling this section of the condenser to operate at full capacity. Resultant success of this installation has led plant engineers to consider installing Liners in the main body of this unit.
CLIENT:
UNIT:
Main Condenser 2,180 Admiralty Brass tubes 7/8 O.D. x 18 BWG x 15 long
PROBLEM:
Severe full-length problems from both pitting and also ammonia grooving. The problem is compounded by a total lack of access to the condenser because of a recently installed Caterpillar Diesel Generator located only feet from the tubesheet.
SOLUTION:
CTI was able to restore over 225 previously plugged tubes to full service by installing our Full Length Tube Liners through the crank-case of the large diesel generator. The flexibility of the thin-walled Brass Liners allowed for 100% of the targeted tubes to be restored. A re-tubing of the condenser would have been impossible without moving the generator.
CLIENT:
UNIT:
Overhead Condenser 220 tubes per unit, 8 units 1 O.D. x 14 BWG x 36 long finned SA-179 tubes
PROBLEM:
Severe wall loss and full-length pitting on the tube IDs, resulting in an overage of plugged tubes.
SOLUTION:
CTI installed over 270 Full Length Tube Liners constructed from Alloy C-276 material into failed tubes only, returning them to normal operating service. All work was performed in-situ at the elevated overhead exchangers. The tube IDs had been gritblasted and Eddy Current tested prior to our arrival and work was completed though inlet and outlet header box plug holes.
CLIENT:
ESSO (via Foure Lagadec Mediteranee OEM) Fos Sur Mer Refinery Fos Sur Mer, France
UNIT:
E-2212 Fin-fan units (2) 243 tubes each, Carbon Steel 1 O.D. x 14 BWG x 30 long
PROBLEM:
Integrity of existing bundles forced the plant to modify their design. The original tube wall thickness was reduced from 10 BWG to 14 BWG and included the addition of CTI Full Length Tube Liners with .028 wall thickness.
SOLUTION:
CTI fitted 486 Full Length Tube Liners into new fin-fan units, made of Alloy C276 in order to increase reliability and extend the life of the Carbon Steel units. All work was performed through header box plug holes.
CLIENT:
UNIT:
WHB E-701 Claus D Boiler 475 tubes, SA178 Carbon Steel 2 O.D. x .134 MW
PROBLEM:
Sulfitic corrosion attacking the original Carbon Steel tubes at the inlet end resulting in premature failures and tube replacement.
SOLUTION:
Installation of 475 CTI Shield/Seals manufactured from 316SS, .049 wall thickness x 36 in length. These Shields were hydraulically expanded into the new parent tubes the entire 36 and then mechanically expanded at both the tubesheet and exit end of the Shield. Ceramic tube ferrules, 10 in length were then installed inside the CTI Shields by a local contractor. This installation was critical path and completed in two back-toback 12 hour shifts.
CLIENT:
UNIT:
E03 10A 101 - Units A thru H fin-fan bundles 8 units with 233 tubes each (1864 total tubes) SA214 Carbon Steel 1 O.D. x .125 MW x 32 long Design Pressure: 45 psig Design Temperature: 350F
PROBLEM:
Eddy Current examination on 100% of the tubes revealed unexpected, excessive corrosion ranging from 25% to 75% tube wall loss.
SOLUTION:
On an emergency basis, CTI was contracted to install 1864 Full Length Tube Liners manufactured from 316L material into all 8 bundles. Flint Hills engineers isolated two bundles at a time enabling CTI Technicians to remain at the site until all 8 bundles were completed. The repair was a resounding success and site Engineers posted a job review of the installation for access by all FHR personnel systemwide.
CLIENT:
UNIT:
Crude OH Fin-Fan Condensers (6) 178 tubes each, Carbon Steel 1 O.D. x 12 BWG x 314 long
PROBLEM:
SOLUTION:
SRC elected to manufacture new tube bundles, then install CTI Shields into all inlet ends (1068) of the new tubes. Shields were 12 long with a 0.028 wall thickness, made of 316SS. Based on the success of this installation, CTI returned to the same plant to install another 768 Shields in September `09, into newly retubed fin-fan units.
CLIENT: UNIT: E211InletGasHeater 193Utubes,A179CarbonSteel 1O.D.x10BWGx112straightleg TubeSide(SourGas) ShellSide(Steam) OperatingTemperature 162C 73C OperatingPressure 3.5barg 128barg PROBLEM: Severeexternalcorrosionofbottomhalfoftheunit, betweenthetubesheetandfirstsupportsheet.Additional damagewasalsodetecteduptothe4thsupportsheet. SOLUTION: InstallationofCTIShieldsmadeof321SS,106long.Two wallthicknesses(.022/.028)weresupplied,usingthe heavierwalledShieldsintothemoredamagedtubes.All Shieldswerehydraulicallyexpandedtheirfulllength followedbymechanicalexpansions.Plantremoved/cutout existingdivisionplateforunobstructedaccesstothe tubesheet/tubes.(seephoto) Uponcompletionofthejobandasuccessfulhydrotest, ShellsSr.MaintenanceEngineersaid There will be no (OnFeb.17,ShellawardedCTIaPurchaseOrderforthe repairofanotherGasHeateratBatangas)
question about using the services of CTI again in the near future
CLIENT:
Qatar Electricity and Water Commission Ras Abu Fontas Distillation Plant Doha, Qatar
UNITS:
Multi-Stage Flash Evaporators (6) 14,406 tubes, Aluminum Brass 1-1/8 OD x .039 wt x 417 long
PROBLEM:
SOLUTION:
Installation of 14,406 CTI Shields via hydroswage, 8 long made of 70/30 CuNi material. Due to the extent of erosion, collars were required on 15% of the tubes.
CASEHISTORY NO.I3089 JULY2009 Celanese(Nanjing)ChemicalCo. Nanjing,China HE323VerticalAcidReboiler 812tubes,AlloyC276 3/4O.D.x.065wall Thinningofoutlettubeends(hottestsection)withupto 65%wallloss.Tubesheet/ligamentshaveactivecorrosion withtubetotubesheetweldscorrodedcompletelyinsome spots,weakeningthejointsandcreatingleaks.
SOLUTION:
Inanextremelycriticalsituation,CTIfabricatedwithin48 hoursover800tubeendShields,.028wallthicknessx6 long,madeofC276material.Collarswerealsofabricated duetotheextremeerosion/corrosionatthetubeopenings. Celaneseexpeditedtheairfreightofmaterialdirectto Nanjing.CTIpersonnelhandcarriedalltoolsand equipmenttoChina,arrivinginNanjingbeforeaPurchase Ordercouldevenbeissued.AllShields/Collarswere installedviamechanicalexpansionintotheoutlettubeends andtheunitthensuccessfullyhydrotested. CUSTOMERCOMMENTS: Iwouldliketoextendmysincerethanks,onbehalfofCelanese,toCTIfor theirunderstandingandtimelysupportinthiscriticalmatter.Youassisted usimmenselyinverypromptproductionoftheinsertsandtimely shipment/packagingeffortswhichhadtobeworkedthroughtoensure uninterruptedshipmentintoNanjing.Thankyouagainforthevaliantand supportiveeffort.
CLIENT:
UNIT:
PROBLEM:
SOLUTION:
CTI Korea installed 480 Shields, .028 wall thickness x 16 long, made of Alloy C276. Collars were required on all Shields due to extent of erosion in the tubesheet area.