What are the causes of leakage at the reboiler tube sheet and flange sealing surfaces?
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Our company is a chemical enterprise, and its main production facilities are equipped with a large number of heat exchange units. During a major maintenance campaign, leaks were detected at the seal surfaces between the tube sheets of several reboilers and the flanges of those devices. What measures should be taken to carry out repairs? Thank you for your support!
This post was last edited by jizhanwei22 on 2017-1-12 at 10:28. The cause of the leakage should be investigated first. 1. Is the flange gasket worn out or damaged? 2. Is the operating pressure and temperature too high? 3. Are the flange studs loose? 4. To be checked later?
Is it medium corrosion? Modification, repair, or patching – surfacing or lining with corrosion-resistant materials is also an option!
“Was “leaking” detected during the major overhaul on the tube sheets of multiple reboilers and the sealing surfaces of the equipment flanges? What do you mean, why during the major repair? How can there still be leaks during the maintenance process?
Is the leakage occurring after maintenance and reinstallation? If so, the first thing to consider is whether the gasket chosen is appropriate Then there are the installation issues: screws need to be tightened in the correct direction, using a torque wrench so that all bolts are subjected to even force.:)
Try replacing the gasket and tightening it again; it’s possible that it wasn’t installed properly during the maintenance process
It is believed that the gasket has failed, so a new one was installed.
Does the flange have a water line? If not, you can try adding one
Use a new gasket, and when tightening the bolts, do so diagonally rather than one by one. We encountered a similar situation in our company before; we manufactured a heat exchanger, and after the customer installed it, they reported that it didn’t seal properly and was leaking air. We went to the site with new gaskets, only to find that the workers there lacked the necessary technical skills. They tightened one bolt before moving on to the next, tightening them one by one in sequence. With such unskilled workers, it’s no wonder the seal didn’t work properly.