System and method for installing external corrosion guards

Abstract

The system and method for installing external corrosion guards of the present disclosure comprises a method of protecting tubing in tubular heat exchangers from external corrosion that includes the installation of protective collars or guards around the tube outer diameter at the tubsheet plate, anti-vibration baffle, and/or pass partition plate levels. The external corrosion guards can be installed using a ridge method, where a ridge sits on a plate level, using a mechanical expansion method, and using a mechanical rolling method.

Claims

1. A method for installing a steel collar on a tube in a tubular heat exchanger, comprising the steps of: placing the steel collar around the tube adjacent to at least one of a tubesheet plate, an anti-vibration baffle, and a pass partition plate, said steel collar extending from a predetermined first distance above to a predetermined second distance below the at least one of the tubesheet plate, the anti-vibration baffle, and the pass partition plate; mechanically expanding an inner diameter of the tube into an outer diameter of the tube at a predetermined third distance above the at least one of the tubesheet plate, the anti-vibration baffle, and the pass partition plate, a first outer surface of said expanded inner diameter and outer diameter of the tube sealingly engaging the tube to an inner diameter of the steel collar; and mechanically expanding the inner diameter of the tube into the outer diameter of the tube at a predetermined fourth distance below the at least one of the tubesheet plate, the anti-vibration baffle, and the pass partition plate, a second outer surface of said expanded inner diameter and outer diameter of the tube sealingly engaging the tube to the inner diameter of the steel collar; wherein the third distance is above the fourth distance, and the fourth distance is below the third distance.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The various features, advantages, and other uses of the system and method will become more apparent by referring to the following detailed description and drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views. It is emphasized that, according to common practice, the various features of the drawings are not to-scale. On the contrary, the dimensions of the various features are arbitrarily expanded or reduced for clarity.

(2) FIG. 1A is a front plan view of a vertical tubular heat exchanger of the system and method for installing external corrosion guards of the present disclosure, showing an anti-vibration baffle.

(3) FIG. 1B is a front plan view of a vertical tubular heat exchanger of the system and method for installing external corrosion guards of the present disclosure, showing a pass partition plate.

(4) FIG. 2 is a front plan view of a horizontal tubular heat exchanger of the system and method for installing external corrosion guards of the present disclosure.

(5) FIG. 3 is a detail view of the ridge method of a first embodiment of the system and method for installing external corrosion guards of the present disclosure.

(6) FIG. 4 is a detail view of the mechanical expansion method of a second embodiment of the system and method for installing external corrosion guards of the present disclosure.

(7) FIG. 5 is a detail view of the mechanical rolling method of a third embodiment of the system and method for installing external corrosion guards of the present disclosure.

(8) FIG. 6 is a flow diagram showing the steps of the ridge method of the first embodiment of the system and method for installing external corrosion guards of the present disclosure.

(9) FIG. 7 is a flow diagram showing the steps of the mechanical expansion method of the second embodiment of the system and method for installing external corrosion guards of the present disclosure.

(10) FIG. 8 is a flow diagram showing the steps of the mechanical rolling method of the third embodiment of the system and method for installing external corrosion guards of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(11) In tubular heat exchangers, hot flue gas generated during combustion travels to bundles of heat transfer tubing. Depending on the design, the flue gas will either travel through the inner diameter of the heat transferring tube, as in a vertical tubular heat exchanger design, or the flue gas will travel over the outer diameter of the heat transferring tube, as in a horizontal tubular heat exchanger design. Where the flue gas travels through the inner diameter of a plurality of heat exchanger tubes 14, the tube 14 bundles are typically arranged vertically, in a vertical tubular heat exchanger 10, shown in FIG. 1A. Alternatively, the tubes 14 may be arranged in horizontal bundles where cool ambient air travels through the inner diameter of the tube 14 and hot flue gas passes over the tube 14 outer surface, in a horizontal tubular heat exchanger 12, shown in FIG. 2.

(12) The tube 14 bundles in both the vertical tubular heat exchanger 10 (FIG. 1) and horizontal tubular heat exchanger 12 (FIG. 2) are supported by tubesheet plates 16 (FIGS. 1, 2) located at both ends of the vertical tubular heat exchanger 10 and the horizontal tubular heat exchanger 12. Depending on the length of the tubes 14, at least one anti-vibration baffle 18 (FIGS. 1A, 2) is used to support the tubes 14 and prevent mechanical damage. Additionally, at least one pass partition plate 20 (FIG. 1B) may be used to support the tubes 14 and to redirect air and/or gas flow, allowing the air and/or gas flow to make multiple passes over the heat exchanger 10, 12.

(13) During outages, water is commonly introduced to the heat exchanger 10, 12 and the water combines with fly ash present in the heat exchanger 10, 12 to form an acidic slurry that causes tube 14 failures to occur at or near the tube 14 as a result of external corrosion. The acidic slurry drips down the tube 14 length causing failures to occur not only at the tubesheet plate 16, anti-vibration baffle 18, and pass partition plate 20 level, but immediately below the level. Presently, there are no protective measures used to guard against the development of tube damage caused by external corrosion.

(14) An illustrated embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a steel collar 22 (FIGS. 3-5) that is installed around the damaged tube 14 at the level of the tubesheet plate 16, anti-vibration baffle 18, or pass partition plate 20. The inner diameter of the steel collar 22 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the corresponding damaged tube 14 and the steel collar 22 extends a minimum of six inches above and six inches below the tubesheet plate 16, anti-vibration baffle 18, or pass partition plate 20 level.

(15) Installing the steel collar 22 can be accomplished through various methods. In a first embodiment, shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the method of installation comprises sliding a steel collar 22 around a damaged tube 14 (60 in FIG. 6) and expanding the outer diameter at one end of the steel collar 22 to form a small lip or ridge 24 at the center level (62 in FIG. 6). The expansion allows the steel collar 22 to sit at the desired tubesheet plate 16, anti-vibration baffle 18, or pass partition plate 20 level, providing protective steel around the damaged tube 14 that extends six inches above and six inches below the tubesheet plate 16, anti-vibration baffle 18, or pass partition plate 20 level (64 in FIG. 6). The extension beneath the tubesheet plate 16, anti-vibration baffle 18, and/or pass partition plate 20 level provides increased protection from the acidic slurry pattern of traveling down the length of the tube 14 and redirects the liquid flow away from the steel.

(16) In a second embodiment, shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the method of installation comprises sliding a steel collar 22 around a damaged tube 14 70 and mechanically expanding the inner diameter 26 of the tube 14 into the outer diameter 28 of the tube 14 to sealingly connect the tube 14 to the inner diameter 30 of the steel collar 22 at a predetermined location above the tubesheet plate 16, anti-vibration baffle 18, or pass partition plate 20 level (72 in FIG. 7). The inner diameter 26 of tube 14 is then mechanically expanded into the outer diameter 28 of the tube 14 to sealingly connect the tube 14 to the inner diameter 30 of the steel collar 22 at a predetermined location below the tubesheet plate 16, anti-vibration baffle 18, or pass partition plate 20 level (74 in FIG. 7). In this second embodiment of the method of installation, the inner diameter 30 of the steel collar 22 is slightly larger than the outer diameter 28 of the damaged tube 14. The steel collar 22 does not contain a lip or ridge but in the illustrated embodiment is one continuous piece of steel extending a minimum of six inches above and six inches below the tubesheet plate 16, anti-vibration baffle 18, or pass partition plate 20 level. Installing the steel collar 22 is accomplished by inserting a dimensionally controlled expansion tool through the inner diameter 26 of the damaged tube 14. The expansion tool uses hydraulic pressure to create a structurally secure and air tight seal between the tube 14 and the steel collar 22. In one embodiment, the outer diameter 28 of the tube 14 is forced outward into the inner diameter 30 of the steel collar 22 to create an air tight seal at a location at least six inches below the tubesheet plate 16, anti-vibration baffle 18, or pass partition plate 20 level and at a location at least six inches above the tubesheet plate 16, anti-vibration baffle 18, or pass partition plate 20 level in the illustrated embodiment.

(17) In a third embodiment, shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, the method of installation comprises sliding a steel collar 22 around a damaged tube 14 (80 in FIG. 8) until the steel collar 22 rests on the tubesheet plate 16, the anti-vibration baffle 18, or the pass partition plate 20 (82 in FIG. 8). The inner diameter 26 of the tube 14 is mechanically expanded into the outer diameter 28 of the tube 14 to sealingly connect the tube 14 to the steel collar 22 at a predetermined location above the tubesheet plate 16, the anti-vibration baffle 18, or the pass partition plate 20 level (84 in FIG. 8). The end of tube 14 is then mechanically rolled into the tubesheet plate 16, the anti-vibration baffle 18, or the pass partition plate 20 to form a seal between the tube 14 end and the plate (86 in FIG. 8).

(18) In this third embodiment of the method of installation, the steel collar 22 does not contain a lip or ridge but is one continuous piece of steel. The third method of installation may be used where the spacing of the tubesheet plates 16, anti-vibration baffles 18, or pass partition plates 20 allows and creates a seal between the tubes 14 and the fly ash slurry at the desired tubesheet plate 16, anti-vibration baffle 18, and pass partition plate 20 level.

(19) The result of the first, second, and third embodiments of the installation method is to create a protective barrier of steel protecting against external corrosion at the areas where the air preheater is most vulnerable to damage. The protective barrier serves to significantly extend the service life of the tubes. The three embodiments of the method of installation can be performed during a repair of the heat exchanger 10, 12 or as part of the original heat exchanger design and fabrication.

(20) While the present disclosure has been described in connection with certain embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the scope of the appended claims, which scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures as is permitted under the law.