Who knows the detailed steps for the hydrostatic test of floating-head heat exchangers?
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1. Who knows the detailed steps for the hydrostatic test of floating-head heat exchangers? (The equipment has been out of use for two years and is under nitrogen protection.) 2. Is it necessary to remove the core during pressurization? 3. Can pressure testing be carried out without core extraction if the site conditions do not permit it? 4. If the tube bundle is leaking, can pressure be applied to the shell side?
For simple tube bundle pressurization, it is not necessary to remove the core; simply taking off the large cover is sufficient. If the tube bundle is leaking, it is necessary to remove the core and use a dummy cap to locate the leaking tubes. If there are few leaking tubes, the ends of those tubes can be sealed before reuse.
Based on my experience, in such situations it is very likely that a large-scale leak will occur once pressure is applied; this usually happens at the tube sheets of the heat exchanger. TIG welding can be used to seal all the leaks in the tube sheets, and there is no need to plug the tubes. If there is a leak inside the tube bundle, the tube has to be plugged.
1. Steps for hydrostatic testing: 1. Remove the small end caps at the front and rear closures as well as those at the floating head; install special fixtures at the floating head to perform pressure testing on the pipe ends. 2. Reinstall the small end caps at the floating head and carry out pressure testing on the shell side. 3. Assemble the front-end tube box head and perform pressure testing on the tube side. 3. Pressure testing can be carried out without removing the core, but if the gasket is damaged, it’s difficult to say what will happen. If there is a leak in the tube bundle, it’s pointless to conduct pressure testing on the shell side; the tubes should be replaced or blocked first before attempting pressure testing
It is recommended to return to the factory for pressure testing, as tooling is required
1. Ammonia leak detection; 2. Install special tooling at the floating head to perform pressure testing on the pipe ends; 3. Install the floating head and conduct pressure testing on the shell side. 4. Seal the tube box head to perform pressure testing on the tube side.