Hydraulic pressure test for heat exchanger tube bundle maintenance
Thread Content
During maintenance, after the heat exchanger tube bundle is reinstalled, a pressure test using water must be carried out on the bundle. Is it true that for the tube side, the pressure applied should be 1.25 times the operating pressure of that side, while for the shell side, the pressure should be set according to the requirements specified for that side? Or should it not be under control, and the shell-side pressure be pressurized to the highest operating pressure?
Yes, generally, the pressure applied in the pipe train should be 1.25 times the operating pressure of the pipe train. If it is the shell side, the hydraulic pressure test should be conducted according to the operating pressure of the shell side. Different circuits (tube side or shell side) should undergo corresponding hydraulic pressure tests in accordance with their respective operating pressure standards. It is not simply pressurized to the highest operating pressure uniformly. .
It is generally done at the hydrostatic test pressure specified in the design drawings; the manufacturer carries out the pressure testing in accordance with those drawings, and it is best not to exceed that pressure