Product category:
Plant Inspection and Cleaning
News Release from: Tube Tech International | Subject: Heat Exchanger cleaning
Edited by the Processingtalk Editorial
Team on 14 October 2005
A tough cleaning task on a titanium heat
exchanger
Unique and highly-specialised heat exchanger cleaning on an expensive piece of equipment from a Saudi Arabian gas production plant has recently been successfully carried out by Tube Tech
Tube Tech carried out unique and highly-specialised heat exchanger cleaning on an expensive piece of equipment from a Saudi Arabian gas production plant The titanium heat exchanger - a hugely costly item - was shipped by sea to the Tube Tech UK headquarters
This article was originally published on Processingtalk on 19 Oct 2007 at 8.00am (UK)
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While long-lasting in terms of operational life, even titanium heat exchanger tubes become blocked, and these blockages eventually need removal.
The item, transported by sea to Tube Tech, was heavily blocked around the hairpins with calcium carbonate and tenacious silicate deposits which had contributed to a loss of heat transfer abilities.
Tube Tech was contracted because the heat exchanger had very long tubes and the company has a reputation for being successful with difficult heat exchanger cleaning projects.
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Titanium tubes, while having excellent heat transfer properties, are thin and soft and require more than usual delicacy while cleaning.
The solution devised used a multi-phase cleaning approach, which started with a low-volume 60,000 PSI (4,000 BAR) water jetting system utilising intelligent metal lances which conformed to the shape of the tubes while drilling and jetting simultaneously.
As acid-type chemicals are not recommended on titanium, a bio-degradable wash was used to remove traces of scale from the tube walls once a bore was created.
A miniature rotating 'Dartt' was fired around the bend before a video probe sent back a 3D image to confirm no damage to interior bores.
An alternative heat exchanger cleaning system to shatter the scale was being simultaneously developed in case the initial procedure was unsuccessful.
Having been shipped from the Gulf to Tube Tech, the equipment benefited from the full experience of the Tube Tech team.
Careful use of bespoke jets and turbines and the lack of aggressive acids meant the titanium suffered no damage and was polished to a pristine condition after the heat exchanger cleaning was completed.
Tube Tech Senior Supervisor Mick Fortune said: "The hairpins were solidly blocked.
This level of blockage and hardness factor has always previously meant a re-tube or full replacement.
We had to take great care because the heat exchanger was titanium, perhaps the only one of its type that has been done in this manner".
A spokesperson for the client said: "We were very satisfied with the standard of clean achieved.
We had previously tried drilling, high-pressure jetting at 1,000 bar, and various chemicals with no joy.
Our objective was unblocking 5% of tubes to reach satisfactory performance.
Tube Tech achieved 7% and promised to attain 95%-plus if required.
This cleaning procedure avoided a full and expensive retube, which would have cost at least $250,000.
We will have no hesitation in calling in Tube Tech again".
Tube Tech International are happy to demonstrate and discuss their unique and proprietary U tube heat exchanger cleaning process if further information is required.
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