Semi-hollow tube plug for tubular heat exchangers
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I’m seeking help from fellow experts: There’s a leak in the tubes of a tubular heat exchanger. I recall seeing in the maintenance procedures for 300,000-ton fertilizer and urea production equipment of the American-Holland type that semi-hollow plugs could be used to seal such tubes, but I can’t remember the relevant parameters now. Does anyone among you know them? Please share them if you do; thank you!
Why isn’t anyone replying? I want to know too and learn about it.
We sealed them with the same conical material plugs and welded a ring around them; before, they were just secured by tapping. During a major repair, asymmetry was detected, and two of them came loose.
This is commonly done, but it creates stress at the pipe blockage points on the tube sheet, which in turn affects the surrounding pipe connections; sometimes this leads to increased leakage as the blockage worsens.