Stainless steel heat exchanger
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The stainless steel heat exchangers were pickled in April, and now, less than four months later, the heat exchange tubes of these exchangers are leaking. I would like to ask the experts: is this due to the pickling process or to the circulating water? Thank you
This issue cannot be arbitrarily attributed to certain causes; instead, data should speak for itself.
Considerations in design, manufacturing, installation, and use!
Teacher, where would be a good place to start the analysis? Please give some guidance
With a question like that of yours, without specifying what type of heat exchanger is being used, what the material medium is, or what acid is employed, who the hell knows what the reason could be? Based on a probability analysis, there could be a dozen or so possibilities in total, and that wouldn’t be very helpful for your question either.
With a question like that of yours, without specifying what type of heat exchanger is being used, what the material medium is, or what acid is employed, who the hell knows what the reason could be? Based on a probability analysis, there could be a dozen or so possibilities in total, and that wouldn’t be very helpful for your question either.
If it gets washed out, it will start leaking right away. Besides, after washing it, you definitely rinse it several times with plenty of water, so there’s no risk of acid remaining in the equipment’s pipes and causing corrosion. Why wait 4 months after washing it before wearing it?
It is estimated that in most cases, the material chosen for the heat exchange tubes is inappropriate; before acid cleaning, corrosion and scaling accumulate on the tubes, and after cleaning, the metal from the corroded tubes is gone, resulting in leaks. However, it is necessary to take into account various factors such as the medium, material selection, operating temperature, stress conditions, and the corrosive effect of acidic media on the pipes, in order to arrive at an accurate result.
If it is determined that it is not a crack or fracture but rather a leakage due to thinning, then the material of the heat exchange tubes, the process medium and circulating water, as well as changes in the process conditions, could all be potential causes
Is the heat exchange tube cracked or punctured?
Leaks in heat exchangers are either due to problems with the design or manufacturing, or issues related to production or maintenance. It’s necessary to analyze each specific case; it would be best to send pictures to identify the nature of the problem.