Guide to furnace heat exchanger inspection, testing, leaks how to inspect and test furnace heat exchangers for leaks photographs show clues indicating leaky, dangerous furnace heat exchangers furnace heat exchanger leak testing, a complete list of methods used to find or test for leaks in a furnace heat exchange what is the allowable amount of gas fired heat exchanger leakage. There are a variety of methods of inspecting or testing heat exchangers. Review, if available, eddy current test reports and visual inspection records, to determine the structural integrity of the heat exchanger. Higher temperatures may be reached with special gasket and adhesive materials. Any change is an indication of a heat exchanger leak. Iris is commonly used in boilers, shellandtube heat exchangers, and finfan heat exchanger tubes.
The tubes are thinwalled tubing produced specifically for use in heat exchangers. Nde technologies for the examination of heat exchangers. A heat exchanger can be designed by the lmtd when inlet and out let conditions are specified. The external shell side cleaning of heat exchangers is just one aspect of routine maintenance which needs to be performed regularly but which, if done incorrectly, can compound problems with equipment. Heat exchangers are used in both cooling and heating processes.
The result, inspection of the tubes must be performed on july 6, 2024 and for the header box. Attached is the official carrier bryant payne 90% furnace heat exchanger inspection procedure. Furthermore, dont touch it until complete cooldown to the normal temperature after the shutdown. This inspection report documents in detail the specific inspections that have been conducted. Instruction manual pharmaline ese02198en 201205 original manual. The heat exchanger has double tube sheets and a leakage in the joint in the inner tube sheet will show as a leakage between the. Inspection procedure for shell and tube heat exchangers printed. Saudi aramco ndt methods application on heat exchangers fawaz a. Jul 07, 2019 heat exchanger hydrotest procedure pdf hydrotest procedure of heat exchanger at site. Point beach nuclear plant hx01 revision 1 heat exchanger condition assessment february 25, 2004. Heat exchanger inspection pdf furnace carbon monoxide. A plate heat exchanger must never be subjected to vacuum unless designed.
Fall is the time of year when building operators need to prepare for the heating season so there is a smooth transition to cool weather. It is important that bolts are tightened uniformly and in diametrically staggered. Inspection of unit at regular intervals and as frequently as experience indicates, an examination should be made of the interior and the exterior of the heat exchanger. There are many areas on a heat exchanger that you can not get to for visual inspections while the heat exchanger is in the furnace. The water leak from condensate could indeed destroy a heat exchanger. Inspection nondestructive testing ndt techniques are vital to determine the continuity of heat exchanger operation in plants, there are a wide ranges of ndt selection that may. The plate heat exchanger shall be operated by persons who have studied the instructions in this manual and have knowledge of the process. Heat exchanger inspection planning inspectioneering.
Searching documents and internet sources the following is what i found on heat exchanger inspection methods and sources. The shell cylinder can be fabricated from rolled plate or from piping up to 24 inch diameters. Inspection of the entire length of heat exchanger tubes however brings along a few extra challenges. Tube tech can complete shell side cleaning of heat exchangers and ensures all debris is cleared completely. The weekly inspection procedure should be completed prior to starting the weekly churn test. Maintaining a plate heat exchanger and its related cost is not just a good idea it is a necessity for any successful business strategy concerned with its continued manufacturing productivity. Hw 12 visual, dimension and marking control asme viii asme viii report h w inspection and test plan for shell and tube heat exchanger. The inspection of heat exchangers is the one area of equipment inspection where i firmly advocate the use of a check list to make sure you got everything.
The furnace produces heat but fails combustion analysis test due to heat exchanger restriction as diagnosed per guidelines provided in smb 090022. In some cases, an oldfashioned visual inspection makes the most sense, either by removing the blower or the high limit or both and using a mirror or borescope to inspect. When determining whether to require the manufacturer to perform leak tests. In the plate inspection, also known as the integral pressure test, a defined test pressure is. The pressure gages calibration and range shall be controlled. Hydrogen has a wide range of advantages over other test procedures, and therefore.
Induceddraft furnace heat exchanger inspection procedure ahri. Inside of your furnace or boiler there is actually a fire burning. This inspection report documents in detail the specific inspection s that have been conducted. When the heat exchanger is under running or pressurizing, never unscrew any of the tightening bolts. The holding time shall be based on the supplier approved test procedure. The furnace no longer functions to produce heat due to diagnosed heat exchanger restriction per inspection guidelines provided in smb 090022. Shell and tube heat exchanger is the most common type of heat exchanger in oil refineries and other large chemical processes, and is suited for higherpressure applications. Operating any plate heat exchanger at temperatures above the design temperature of the gasket material will re sult in gasket and adhesive failure. A heat exchanger is a system used to transfer heat between two or more fluids. For those that want one single never fail method for inspecting heat exchangers. The normal maximum operating temperature for a plate heat exchanger is approximately 120 to 160 degrees celsius. Keeping plant equipment clear of debris and deposits is essential to maintaining efficiency and reducing running costs. Heat exchanger equipment field manual provides an indispensable means for the determination of possible failures and for the recognition of the optimization potential of the respective heat exchanger. Isolate and drain the waterside of the exchanger to be.
For the selected heat exchangers that are directly cooled by a closed loop. Cover the plate pack with black plastic to exclude any sun light. A leaking tube can impact production, the environment and most importantly, lives. If you have a leak, we can identify the specific exchanger where its happening. Guide to furnace heat exchanger inspection, testing, leaks how to inspect and. Quick startup and shutdown is a major cause of heat exchanger damage. The weekly inspection of the fire pump is a visual examination of the fire pump and its assemblies to verify that the pump appears to be in an operating condition and is free of physical damage. Would that mean my heat exchanger is bad or is there a pan that is leaking. Heat exchanger equipment field manual sciencedirect. The application of a full saturation eddy current technique. One of the most common methods used is a visual inspection of the heat exchanger with a mirror and a strong light. When the heat exchanger is under running or pressurizing, never unscrew any of the tightening bolts and nuts for replacement, etc. The inspection approach is different for equipments after it is put to use as compared to the equipments which is being fabricated.
But i did actively search on heat exchanger inspection methods and the following are methods that i found. Foreword thank you for purchasing the hisaka plate heat exchanger. Third party inspection for shell and tube heat exchanger. To address these situations, an industryaccepted procedure known as the threestep method for detecting unacceptable flue gas leakage from furnace heat exchangers has been used since the early 1980s to conduct field inspections of gasfired furnace heat exchangers. Preventive maintenance checklist fall a preventive maintenance program is a way to assure that all mechanical equipment is operating efficiently and using energy wisely. Heat exchanger inspection checklist qc, inspection. Pass pure water through the heat exchanger for 510 minutes. The heat exchanger must be isolated from system vibrations using flexible piping connections and isolation pads on the mounting feet. Heat exchanger tube inspection is vital for refining and petrochemicals.
Apex engineering products has been around for more than 75 years manufacturing safe chemical solutions, so we know our way around a heat exchanger. Natural gas or propane is being burned and the byproduct of that process is energy in the form of heat, along with water vapor h2o, carbon dioxide co2, carbon monoxide co, carbon or soot. The fluids may be separated by a solid wall to prevent mixing or they may be in direct contact. If the plate at fault is punched 1234, the unit may be rapidly put back on line.
Induceddraft furnace heat exchanger inspection procedure. This study determined that a three part procedure was necessary. Internal rotary inspection system iris the internal rotary inspection system iris is an ultrasonic nondestructive testing ndt technique used to inspect pipes and tubes. This procedure applies to the pressure containing parts of the exchanger alone with. Exchanger cleaning is an important extension of our service to our industrial customers. Heat exchangers we can detect leaks to as low as 1ppm. Have posted this article at other sites and hope it is useful to you on heat exchanger inspection methods. Pdf a case study on procedure standardization of heat. The third party inspection for shell and tube heat exchanger article provides a sample procedure for heat exchanger inspection and heat exchanger tsting. That you can test for carbon monoxide at the register if there is a. They are widely used in space heating, refrigeration, air conditioning, power stations, chemical plants, petrochemical plants, petroleum refineries, natural.
This policy update is effective for secondary heat exchangers with failure dates of january 14th, 2014. Pdf on feb 19, 2020, mohamed fayas saffiudeen and others published a case study on procedure. Exchanger inspection 101 visual inspection of shell and tube heat exchangers. References material safety data sheets msds are electronically stored and can be.
Welded joints are to be sufficiently cleaned prior to testing the exchanger to permit proper inspection during the test. Like with most equipment, inspection planning is essential for the successful inspection and maintenance of heat exchanger tubulars. Descaling heat exchangers is made even easier with the use of one of our descaling systems. External inspection of an air cooled exchanger is part of the determination of mechanical integrity. Pdf risk based inspection of gascooling heat exchanger. Heat exchanger installed correctly flushing, venting and chemical treatment complete pipework insulated and adequately supported precommissioning checklist unit check visual inspection, no apparent damage plate heat exchanger system itemtask yes no na.
List of welders, welding procedure and welder qualification. Maintenance and cleaning may only be done with a shutdown heat exchanger. If the heat exchanger is located at the inlet or discharge of a blower with a pulsating flow, such as a roots type rotary lobe blower, the heat exchanger must be protected from the pulsation by a chambered silencer. This type of heat exchanger consists of a pressure vessel shell with aan internal tube bundle that is typically supported by tube sheets and intermittent tube baffles. The planning process starts by finding out what data is needed from the inspection. Shell and tube heat exchangers construction details. Shell side external heat exchanger cleaning heat exchanger. Apr 20, 2015 heat exchanger tubular inspection planning.
With multiplepass units, the above procedure will only allow partial viewing of. For inservice inspection you may have to check with nbic, for fabrication inspection refer to the following from asme, tema, api 660, api 572, these would help you in preparing your own check list. Heat exchanger inspection methods hvac contractor talk. Discharge the fluid with water and monitor the situation through the glass tube. It is safe to say that it would be rare to find someone in this industry that does not believe in having a plate heat exchanger maintenance strategy. Though this procedure has been effective for testing heat exchangers in natural draft furnaces, its effectiveness. Improper or inadequate furnace heat exchanger inspection techniques can result in the misdiagnosis of a heat exchanger failure when a failure has not occurred or is not imminent.
The heat exchanger shall be operated by persons who have studied the instructions in this manual and have knowledge of the process. Gtls, is a specialist in the design and manufacture of brazed aluminum heat exchangers bahx, which are mission critical for. A case study on procedure standardization of heat exchanger. This includes knowledge of precautions regarding media type, pressures, temperatures in the heat exchanger as well as specific precautions required by the process. Red flag this post please let us know here why this post. Though this procedure has been effective for testing heat exchangers in natural draft furnaces, its effectiveness for testing heat exchangers on induceddraft furnaces that maintain a significant negative pressure within the heat exchanger has been questioned. This includes knowledge of precautions regarding media type, pressures, temperatures in the plate heat exchanger as well as specific precautions required by the process. When opening and assembling the heat exchanger observe the following. The inspection was conducted at the clients site, located in the united kingdom on the 12th may 2016. Since all shell or tube and shell heat exchanger cleaning should be done offline, our advanced mechanical cleaning is. Inspection procedure for shell and tube heat exchangers. An accurate and reliable heat exchanger leak detection method has been developed.
Heat exchange produces fouling which must be cleaned away at intervals. Along the length of the tubes tube tube sheet joints can be visually inspected and standard ndt techniques, like penetrant testing or magnetic testing can be utilized. Before discussing some tools and methods used in heat exchanger inspection, i want to debunk a few myths about cracked heat exchangers. All dealers and service contractors should refer to smb 090022 dsb 090022 90% furnace heat exchanger inspection procedure to properly troubleshoot and inspect 90% furnace heat exchangers. This manual also goes into detail about the test equipment used in the 3 step. This equipment has been carefully engineered and manufactured to perform to your requirements and provide long service life. Tube tech also offers the unique bladespec inspection system which is one of the slimmest inspection cameras in the world. We recommend that a warning notice is attached to the exchanger to remind personnel that the tie bolts need adjustment before the unit can be put back into service. When the problem is to determine the inlet and outlet temperatures for a particular heat exchanger, the analysis is. Heat exchangers on food duties should be cleaned every day, a suggested method is. A more expert inspection is needed to assure your system is. When heat exchanger handles steam and other fluid of high temperature, it has hazard of burns. Can anyone please point me to a source for determining the correct procedure for hydrotesting the various. When you do find a cracked exchanger it should be quoted for repair and the furnace turned off.