Repair of heat exchange tubes in converters

Why replace the heat exchange tube after it leaks； Repair welding was carried out for the tube sheet leakage.

If the internal leakage occurs at the junction between the column tube and the tube sheet, welding repairs are usually carried out; it is generally at this location that the leakage takes place； If it’s a leak in the tubes, then the only option is to replace the tubes ； Using epoxy for repairs is a good method; however, ordinary epoxy resins are not suitable for the environment inside converters as they cannot withstand such high temperatures. Using phenolic resin should work instead ； Additionally, the tube sheet of the converter is made of 20mm thick steel plate; as long as the welding quality is good, uneven heating that could lead to leaks should not occur.

For leaks at both ends, welding can be used to repair them; for leaks in the middle of the pipe, only blind plugging at both ends is possible. If the number of pipes that require blind plugging at both ends exceeds 15, then all such pipes must be replaced.

Are all the tubes in your converters welded? ? It’s not swollen?

Leak in the pipe end weld – repair welding; internal leak in the tube bank – either replace the tube or plug it with iron and weld it in place; if the plug doesn’t work properly and a leak occurs again, it will cause corrosion of the surrounding tubes and plates

For leaks in the tubes, simply blocking them with rubber plugs in several layers at the top and bottom will suffice. Leaks caused by swelling seams can be repaired by welding; leaks resulting from corroded tube ends can be fixed by welding in iron cones. No further updates will be sent if there are no issues

Replace the leaking pipe with a new one, control the moisture content of the feed gas, and where possible, remove water from the acetylene gas through pressure swing adsorption.

It can be sealed by welding; if the water in the shell side can be drained, the tubes can also be replaced and sealed with strength expansion welding, although this is a rather complicated process.

Since the temperature at which the converter stops operating differs from its operating temperature by more than 150 degrees in winter, using epoxy resin for sealing is not effective; leaks occur due to the different expansion coefficients of epoxy resin and metal materials. Generally, metal welding is an effective method for sealing minor tube leaks in converters, and manual welding on a single converter complies with relevant standards. A leak in the converter has a significant impact on the hot water system, and it requires close attention. It is necessary to address promptly any issues related to excessive pH levels or chloride ions in the hot water system; otherwise, it will cause serious damage to all converters.

Reply to 10# YBTYXM: I have another question I’d like to ask. During the pressure testing phase after the catalyst was installed in the converter (the new unit has not yet been put into operation), it was found that there was a leak between the lower end cap and the cylinder. The reason for this leak was that the surface of the flange on the lower end cap was not properly treated during the anti-corrosion treatment, which led to the leakage. If everything is removed and surface treatment is done again, it involves a lot of work; it’s also quite troublesome to remove all the catalysts from inside the converter. For now, the leak has been sealed with repair putty to provide a temporary solution. But will this method work once the converter is turned on? If the clay stops working once the conversion is activated and everything below the converter starts to leak, and tightening the bolts doesn’t help, could someone with more experience give some good advice on how to solve this problem?