Can the head of this heat exchanger be removed to plug a leaky tube?
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Natural gas on the tube side, circulating water on the shell side – can we simply remove the head, perform pressure testing on the circulating water on the shell side to check for leaks, and then plug the tubes?
Natural gas, being a flammable and explosive substance, is probably not an option
Remove the tube box, then fix the tube sheet using temporary flanges, pressurize the shell side, and check for leaks in the heat exchange tubes.
Okay, will it be necessary to replace the gasket on the shell side of the tube sheet? If a gasket needs to be replaced, will it also be necessary to remove the core?
As can be seen from the diagram, after removing the end cap, another flange needs to be installed to hold down the tube bundle; otherwise, pressure testing cannot be carried out.
Don’t all U-tube heat exchangers come equipped with a pressure testing device out of the factory? Without such a device, it’s impossible to conduct pressure tests