They are also extensively used in standard flanges where the service is
not critical and at temperatures beyond which a soft gasket such as
rubber can be used. Since most double-jacketed gasket are custom
made, there is virtually no limit size, shape or configuration in which
these gaskets can be made. This particular type of gasket is very
versatile and can be used in a myriad of applications. Since the size
and shape are not a problem and since most materials can be obtained
commercially, this particular gasket style is very popular. It must be
remembered that the primary seal against leakage, using a double-
jacketed gasket, is the metal inner lap where the gasket is thickest
before being compressed and densest when compressed. This
particular section flows, effecting the seal. As a consequence the entire
inner lap must be under compression. Frequently the outer lap is not
under compression and does not aid in the sealing of the gasket. On
most heat exchanger applications the outer lap is also under
compression, providing a secondary seal. The intermediate part of a
double-jacketed gasket does very little to effect the sealing capability of
the gasket. In some cases nubbins are provided on heat exchanger
designs to provide an intermediate seal. This nubbin is normally 1/64"
high by 1/8" wide. Experience has indicated, however, that there is little
advantage to this particular design. The primary seal is still dependent
on the inner lap of the gasket doing the brute work and the secondary
seal, when applicable, would be provided by the outer lap.
88
Shell and Coil Heat Exchangers.
The shell and coil heat exchangers are constructed using
circular layers of helically corrugated tubes placed inside a
light compact shell. The fluid in each layer flows in the
opposite direction to the layer surrounding it, producing a
criss-cross pattern. The large number of closely packed
tubes creates a significant heat transfer surface within a
light compact shell. The alternate layers create a swift
uniform heating of fluids increasing the total heat transfer
coefficient. The corrugated tubes produce a turbulent flow
where the desired feature of fluctuating velocities is
achieved. This haphazard movement of fluid particles
reduces deposit buildup by performing a "scoop and lift"
action. The connection locations and angle of entry is
specially selected to reduce the probability of debris
buildup.
37
Some of the different permutations of plate/coil exchangers… a. Inside Tubes – The inside of the tubes can be partially checked at the ends by use of a
flashlight. Look for damaged, cracked, corroded, eroded or dirty tubes. The tubes should
be callipered inside with a sufficient number of tubes done to be representative of the
bundle and recorded for each end. In some cases it may be necessary to remove sample
tubes when special examinations are required – chemical, metallurgical, etc.-are needed
when checking for dezincification of brass tubes, depth of etching or fine cracks, or high-
temperature metallurgical changes.
b. Outside Tubes – Obviously, only the outer tubes of a bundle can be inspected
externally, looking for damaged, cracked, corroded, eroded or dirty tubes. The tubes
should be callipered outside with a sufficient number of tubes done to be representative of
the bundle and recorded. It is difficult to measure the outside diameter of fin-type tubes
accurately, except at tube ends, and the outside diameter of tubes in fixed tube sheets
cannot be measured at all.
c. Tube Sheets and Floating Cover – The tube sheets and floating cover should be
visually inspected for corrosion and distortion. Gasket surfaces should be checked for
gouge marks and corrosion. Sufficient gasket surface must remain to make a tight seal
possible when the joints are completed. Tube sheets and covers can be checked for
distortion by placing a straight edge on them. Distortion of tube sheets can result from
over-rolling or improper rolling of tubes, thermal expansion, explosions, or rough handling.
d. Baffles, Impingement Plates, Tie-Rods and Spacers – These parts should be visually
inspected for erosion, corrosion, cracks or mechanical damage from handling. Thickness
readings on these parts are not generally taken. The condition of these parts is based on
the visual inspection.

More WORDS ON THE NUBBIN

Double-jacketed gaskets are probably the most commonly
used style of gaskets in heat exchanger applications. They
are available in virtually any material that is commercially

available in 26-gauge sheet.

38
87
2. Detailed Internal Inspection – In most cases the cleanliness required for
operating conditions will be sufficient for internal inspection purposes. Occasionally, a
cleaner surface will be needed to perform a magnetic particle or liquid penetrant
method inspection. When this is required sandblasting, power wire brushing, or
chemical cleaning should be employed
a. Likely Locations of Corrosion or Cracks – The locations where corrosion or cracks
can be expected will vary depending on the service of the equipment.
b. Outside Surface of Tubes – Opposite shell inlet nozzles may be subject to erosion
or impingement corrosion when a mildly corrosive substance flows on the shell side
c. Bottom of Shell – When process conditions are such that a sludge or similar deposit
can form, it will generally settle along the bottom of the shell. If the deposit contains a
corrosive, the maximum corrosion will occur along the bottom of the shell and the
bottom tubes.
d. Dissimilar Metals – In any type of exchanger corrosion may occur where dissimilar
metals are in close contact. Carbon steel channel-gasket surfaces near brass tube
sheets will often corrode at an accelerated rate.
e. Cracks – Cracks are most likely to occur where there are sharp changes in shape
or size , or near welded seams, especially if a high stress is applied to a piece.
Locations such as nozzles and shell flanges should be checked for cracks if excessive
stresses have been applied to a unit.
f. Inspection of Shells, Channels, an Shell Covers – The first step in the inspection of
shells, channels and shell covers should be a general visual inspection of the inside
and outside surfaces. Good lighting must be available to do this work properly.
g. Gasket Surfaces – The gasket seat on all nozzles and shell, channel and shell
cover flanges should be visually checked. Sufficient width of the surface should
remain to permit proper sealing.
h. Shell and Components – Items such as bulges, buckles, and hydrogen blisters are
found most readily by visual inspection. A flashlight or long straight edge may prove
useful in determining the extent of such defects. Weld seams in shells should be
closely checked when the service is either caustic or high-temperature. In both cases,
cracks may occur in or adjacent to the welded seams. The shells next to the bundle
baffles and inlet impingement plates should be checked for erosion. Erosion or
corrosion at the baffles will often show up as a series of regularly spaced rings when a
flashlight beam is placed parallel to the shell surfaces. Sometimes, a lack of scale will
indicate this erosion type of attack. Shell nozzles should be checked internally, when
possible, for corrosion, cracking, and distortion.
i. Thickness Measurements – Thickness measurements of channel walls, shell walls,
floating covers, bonnet, and attached nozzles should be obtained and recorded.
3. Inspection of Bundle – The most important step in bundle inspection is a good
visual 39

86
 Inspection of an Exchanger
External inspections may be made while an exchanger is in service. Inspection work
performed while the exchanger is in service will reduce the work load when it is out of
service. The time for an internal inspection of an exchanger will usually be determined
by the time it is normally taken out of service for cleaning or when the process unit of
which it is a part is shut down for a turnaround. ANSI/API-510 should be used as a
guide for inspection frequencies of the pressure-vessel portion of exchangers unless
otherwise required by state law. The API Guide for Inspection of Refinery Equipment,
Chapter VII “Heat Exchangers, Condensers, and Cooler Boxes” should be used as a
guide for proper exchanger inspection techniques. There is a more detailed list of
references covering the manufacturing and inspection of exchangers in section VII.
1. General External Inspection – Much of the external inspection can be made
while the exchanger is in service. Items such as ladders, platforms, foundations, pipe
connections, paint and insulation can be inspected without difficulty during this time. It
may also be possible to obtain thickness readings of the various components at this
time.
a. Ladders, Stairways, and Platforms – External inspection of an exchanger unit
should start with attached ladders, stairways and platforms, which should be carefully
visually examined for loose, damaged, corroded or broken parts.
b. Foundations and Supports – Foundations of exchangers units usually consist of
steel cradles on concrete piers. Concrete piers should be visually checked for cracks,
spalling and general deterioration. The steel parts of the foundation should be
carefully checked for corrosion, cracking, missing or damaged parts. All piers and
foundations should be checked for evidence of settlement or unusual distortion.
c. Piping Connections – External piping connections should be visually inspected
while the unit is in service for external corrosion, signs of strain, and evidence of any
leakage. The leaks should be recorded for reference at the internal inspection, as they
may indicate conditions
such as internal corrosion, pipe strain and improper or damaged gaskets.
d. External Corrosion of an Exchanger – The condition of external coatings should be
determined by inspection. Rust spots, blisters and film lifting are the types of coating
failure usually found. Rust spots and blisters are easily found by visual inspection. If
an exchanger is insulated, the insulation should be checked to make sure it is intact.
Areas around the nozzles are likely points of insulation failure. If there is reason to
suspect that the insulation vapor barrier or water-proofing has failed, it may be
desirable to check by removing some of the insulation to expose the shell.
e. Grounding Connections and Auxiliary Equipment– On a few occasions, the
grounding connections will form a part of the unit and should be inspected. Auxiliary
40 equipment, such as gauge connection, sight glasses and safety valves, may be
visually inspected while the unit is in service to check their condition. Undue vibration
of these parts should be noted.
85
High temperature will accelerate the attack. Layer-type dezincification occurs when brass Spiral Cooler - Small, efficient and frequently
corrodes under conditions which permit the formation of soluble copper salts. This type pH uninspectable and unrepairable, spiral coolers are quite
deterioration usually covers large areas, frequently the entire surface.
Deposit or Cellular Attack – Solid particles which settle on a metal surface cause deposit or common in the Chemical industry
cellular attack. These particles cause localized breakdown of the protective film. The pitting
caused by this type of attack have irregular edges and rough bottoms.
Stress Corrosion – Stress corrosion caused y external stresses, season cracking as a result
of internal stresses, and corrosion fatigue brought on by cyclic stresses can be responsible
for the cracking of copper-based exchanger parts.
Condensate Corrosion – Corrosion may be caused by condensate, as explained below.
Steam Condensate Grooving and Pitting – When steam is used as a heating medium in
exchangers and reboilers, the condensate may cause grooving or pitting inside the tubes.
Carbon dioxide and oxygen in the steam condensate are the chief cause of corrosion.
Process Condensate – Occasionally, water droplets may absorb small amounts of corrosive
material such as hydrochloric acid, ammonium hydroxide, and sulfur dioxide. This may
cause deep corrosion grooves to appear on the sides of the tubes where the droplets of
condensate fall repeatedly at the same spot and roll down. Corrosion may also appear on
the bottom of the tube where the droplets remain after dropping off the sides of the tubes.
High-Pressure Steam Leakage – Even a very slight high pressure steam leakage across a
gasket surface of between a tube and shell side can erode the surface rapidly.
Mechanical Damage – Exchangers are subject to several forms of mechanical deterioration
and may fail from these causes as well as from corrosion.
Cracks – Cracks in exchanger shells can result from many causes, the most frequent being:
faulty welding; unrelieved stress concentration in the immediate vicinity of welds; insufficient
reinforcement of openings; and stresses caused by settlement, vibration, poor design of
repairs; and thermal stresses at baffles in channels and bonnets.
Loosening of Tubes – Loosening of tubes in the rolled joint may occur as the
result of a sudden shock, such as would be caused by the introduction of hot
fluid into a cold exchanger. The tubes may also be loosened by vibration set up
by flow through the exchanger or transmitted from some outside source.
Cleaning Damage – When rotating tube cleaners are used, the inside surface of
the tubes may be scraped thin or cut. The tubes may be bent or dented if
scrapers are used on the outside surface. If chemical cleaning is done with
acid some corrosion may occur. When bundles are cleaned by sandblasting or
hydroblasting, metal loss may occur if they are blasted for excessive time.
Collapse of Tubes – Thin-walled tubes may collapse if considerable differential pressure
exists between the outside and the inside of the tube. Hydrostatic testing of the shell can
also collapse the tube if done at too high a pressure. Duplex tubes may collapse if
pressure builds between the two shells.
Buckling of Tubes – Buckling of the tubes in a bundle may be caused by binding of the tubes
in the shell. Excessive temperatures may cause expansion greater than provided for, thus
buckling of the tubes. Buckling of tubes may also be caused by mishandling during the
removal from the shell or during transporting to the cleaning area.
84 41
 B. Causes of Deterioration
Deterioration may be expected on all surfaces in contact with
hydrocarbons, chemicals, water (both salt and fresh) and steam. The
form of attack may be electrochemical, chemical, or mechanical, or a
combination of all three. The attack may be further influenced by certain
accelerating factors, such as temperature, stress, fatigue (including
vibration), impingement, and high velocity of flow.
Corrosion – Corrosion may occur on any part of an exchanger. The
severity of the attack is influenced by the concentration and nature of the
corrosive agents in the fluid as well as by the corrosive resistance of the
construction materials. The principle corrosive agents on the hydrocarbon
side of an exchanger are compounds of sulfur, such as hydrogen sulfide
of mercaptans. Another important cause of corrosion is hydrochloric acid.
Practically all crude contains some salt water, consisting largely of
sodium, calcium and magnesium chloride. When this salt water is heated
to temperatures of 300 F to 400 F, hydrochloric acid is formed by a
process called hydrolysis. Stress corrosion or season cracking may occur
in exchanger parts if they are subjected to applied stresses produced by
high operating pressures, or restraint of thermal expansion and
contraction; or if they contain residual stresses. The deterioration of
materials exposed to cooling water in an exchanger is caused by
numerous corrosion phenomena which are created by particular
characteristics or the environmental influence of water. Many of these
types of attacks , listed below, may be experienced on both the
hydrocarbon and cooling water side of an exchanger.
Erosion-Corrosion – Erosion-corrosion occurs when the erosive effect of
the coolant removes protective corrosion films, thus exposing fresh
surface to corrosion.
Galvanic Corrosion – Channels, heads, tube sheets, and other surfaces
may be subject to galvanic corrosion when there are dissimilar metals in
adjacent parts. It may result in dezincification of copper-zinc alloys,
severe pitting of steel, graphitic corrosion of cast iron, or crevice corrosion
at the gasket surfaces.
Graphitic Corrosion – When water of low pH value is used as a coolant, graphiti
corrosion of cast iron occurs.
Impingement Attack – Impingement attack occurs in or near the inlet ends
of tubes, but occasionally it may extend along the entire length of the
tube. It occurs as pits with smooth walls and sharply defined borders.
The pits are elongated and become shallower in the direction of the flow.
Dezincification – Dezincification of brass occurs when zinc is lost from the
brass. Inhibited brass is less susceptible to dezincification. Plug-type
dezincification is a localized attack, generally caused by sediment. Its
42 inception points are scattered at random on the attack surface.
83
 The following was taken from an old Amoco document I think, but was
unidentified when it came to me. Regardless, it’s pretty good info!!!
Inspection Requirements of Heat Exchangers

A. Reasons For Inspection

Reasons for inspection are to determine the physical condition of the
equipment, the rate of corrosion, and the cause of deterioration. With this data
known, proper measures can be taken to make necessary repairs and plan
future repairs and replacement; prevent or retard further deterioration; avoid
unscheduled shut-downs, thus assuring continuity of operation.
Law – Some states have laws governing the inspection of unfired pressure
vessels. Most states reference the ANSI/API-510 – Pressure Vessel Inspection
Code and/or the National Board Code.
Safety – Corrosion and erosion may weaken various parts of an exchanger and
may eventually cause serious leaks or even failure.
Continuity and Efficiency of Operation – Thorough inspection followed by
necessary maintenance will assure maximum continuity and efficiency of
operation. It is important that the exchangers be free of leaks and reasonably
clean and the baffles be in good condition and properly fitted.
Reduction of Maintenance Cost – Exchanger equipment constitutes a major
part of modern refinery units. The complexity of construction of an exchanger,
with its shell, channel, tube sheets, covers, baffles and gaskets provides many
potential points of failure. Adequate inspection coupled with running records of
deterioration, permits anticipating the time when repairs of replacement of parts
will be necessary, thus allowing planned maintenance with minimum downtime
43
and cost. 82
 Plate fin exchangers
Hot gas is distributed throughout an absolutely discrete
inlet compartment along the entire length of the plate fin
tube bundle. Note the absence of baffles which can inhibit
gas flow. The gas passes through the bundle only once to
the cold compartment and exits to the subsequent
compressor stage. Dramatic changes in gas flow direction
and strict velocity controls facilitate internal moisture
separation.
44
Once again, knowing what to call the parts is more than
half the task. Physical inspection for external corrosion of
the dis-assembled parts, such as the guide bar, tightening
rods/tools, the moveable and fixed covers, as well as the
support column and the carrying bar are pretty straight
forward. Inspection of the plates is primarily going to be
an inspection for physical damage, deformation and
warpage. Virtually any damage to the plate edges, gasket
damage, or seating surface damage is of major importance,
and should be weighed against plate/gasket availability,
with an eye toward replacement of the damaged
component. Small scratches or dings should be carefully
evaluated against the type of gasket to ensure a good seal
is made upon reassembly. The reassembled plate
exchanger should be carefully inspected upon reassembly,
PRIOR to installation of the shroud, to ensure correct
alignment and plate placement.
Inspection of Hair Pin type exchangers
By and large, inspection of hair pins is pretty much the
same as any other shell and tube heat exchanger. The
only real difference is in the construction, and the names
of the parts….
81
Tube Bundle Plate fin exchangers
• Frame – are they warped, distorted or sagging?
• Tube Supports & Tube Keepers – are they warped, distorted or
sagging?
• Contoured Fin Supports or Wiggle Strips – are they skewed? Out
of position?
• Air Seals – between units and under the headers - are they
missing, damaged? Can
you feel air leakage?
• Headers – are they warped or distorted? Are there leaks at the
plugs or cover plate
gaskets?
• Tubes – are the tube bundles dirty (e.g., from below can you see
some daylight)? Are
the tubes warped or distorted? Are the fins “loose”? Are the fins
crushed (especially
on the top rows)?

Inspection of Plate Type Exchangers

45
80
 Brown Fintube Exchangers
Just a word on hairpins… I, personally, never have known
what to call the parts on hairpins, other than the obvious
shell and bundle, so I’m including as much hairpin stuff as I
could find\..
Hairpin heat exchangers utilize true counter-current flow
which maximizes the temperature differences between the
shellside and tubeside fluids, unlike the multi-pass shell-and-
tube designs where correction factors are used to account
for the inefficiencies resulting from co-current passes. When
process calls for a temperature cross (when the hot fluid
outlet temperature is below the cold fluid outlet
temperature), a hairpin heat exchanger is the most efficient
design and will result in fewer sections and less surface
area.
Double-pipe heat exchangers use a single pipe within a pipe
design and are commonly used for high fouling services such
as slurries, where abrasive materials are present, and for
smaller duties. Standard shell diameters range from 2" to
6".Multi-tube heat exchangers are used for larger duties with
standard designs established for shell diameters up to 30"
with surface area in excess of 10,000 ft2 per section.
46
Inspection Notes from the Manufacturer
The external Fins of the tubes should be checked for
cleanliness.
If the Fins need cleaning, washing with clean water
alone or clean water with soap may be sufficient. If not, care
should be taken in selecting a cleaning solution. Usually the
Fins are aluminum and they could be harmed if the wrong
cleaning medium is used.
The exterior of the tubes should be inspected between the
tube sheet and the start of the Fins. Exchangers in
intermittent service or in service cool enough to allow
moisture to collect in this area are subject to external
corrosion severe enough to cause leaks in this area.
Coatings applied to this area will alleviate the problem of
corrosion.
The insides of the tubes may be visually inspected near the
tube-sheet ends of the air cooler. Fiber optic devices and
borescopes are excellent devices for this type of inspection.
Aprobe rod 1/8 in. (3.2 mm) or less in diameter and
approximately 36 in. (91 cm) in length with a pointed tip bent
at 90 degrees to the axis of the rod also may help to locate
pits or corrosion at the tube ends.
Erosion-corrosion at the tube inlets is a common problem
with air-cooled heat exchangers. This damage can be found
by visual inspection through the header-box plug holes, or
directly if the header box has a removable cover plate. If
suitable conditions exist, reflecting sunlight into the tubes
with a mirror is useful in inspecting for erosion-corrosion.
The box-type header ends of the air cooler should be
inspected using the same techniques as recommended for a
pressure vessel. In addition, the sharp change of direction
caused by its rectangular construction should be carefully
checked for cracking. The header boxes with removable
cover plates are obviously the easiest to inspect. A fiber
optics scope may be the only way to check a header that has
plug type closures as opposed to a cover plate.
79
 1.Separate tubesheets: Separate tubesheets handle high
temperature differences and cycling more effectively than
shell and tube exchangers.
2.Durable baffle cage construction: Our baffles are welded
to the tie rods with no "sleeves" or internal nuts.
3.Movable support brackets allow for shell expansion and
contraction and eliminate the need for sliding plates
commonly used for fixed supports. Our brackets are
slotted for anchor bolts on all four (4) sides for flexibility in
installation, and the ability to add additional sections in
the future.
4.Patented closure technology: to suit your specific design
needs (see adjacent page for details).
5.Tubeside and shellside connections are on the same end
for ease of installation and piping.

The free-floating U-tube bundle

compensates for the differential shell-
tube expansion and eliminates the need
for expansion joints or packed joints
commonly used in shell and tube type
heat exchangers.

78
47
 Separated-Head Low Pressure Closure
Our Separated-Head closure uses independent tubeside and
shellside flanges, bolting and gasketing. This closure is used
for moderate pressure (up to 1,300 psi, or 92 kg/cm2), cyclic
service, high temperature differences, and/or for temps
below -20°F (-28.8°C) or greater than 650°F(343°C).
Missing bolts and bent/broken sheet metal are easily seen,
and fins caked with catalyst or dirt are obvious to the most
casual of observers. I look for the remnants of the shipping
restraints, as well.

Taper-Lock® High Pressure Closure

Our Taper-Lok closure is typically used for high pressure (up
to 15,000 psi, or 1055 kg/cm2) applications. Like our
Separated-Head, the Taper-Lok® uses separate tubeside and
shellside flanges, bolting, and gasketing. The unique feature
this closure offers is a reusable Taper-Lok® ring which acts
as a self-energizing seal.

48 77
Invariably, the client will want what amounts to an
external on the fin fan bank when you do your internal.
Visual inspection of the plenum, fan ring, structural
members and the condition of the fins on the tubes are
easy to take care of, since they are all common sense type
inspections.
76
Lock-Flange® Closure
The Lok-Flange Closure uses common through bolting with
independent gaskets and is typically used for design pressures
below 1,000 psi, or 70 kg/cm2. The center flange of this closure
is threaded, which allows removal of the tube-end flange for
inspection and cleaning of the tubes while maintaining pressure
on the shellside. This closure allows the maximum number of
tubes in a given shell diameter.
ZR Closure
The ZR closure is the newest addition to the Brown Fintube
family of closures. This closure bridges the gap between the
Separate-Head and the Lok-Flange by providing separate
tubeside and shellside flanging and bolting, while retaining the
maximum number of tubes in a given shell diameter.
49
 Brown Fin Tube Superior Closure Design
External Split Rings –
Split rings are used to lock the bundle into the shell. On
outdated models these rings were internal and came into
contact with the shellside fluid. Internal split-rings are still
used by others.
Through Bolting –
Earlier models used studded bolting that could seize or break
off, and are still used by other manufacturers.
Plate Type Header Boxes - These header boxes have the
advantage of being easy to inspect, since they allow
complete access to the tubesheet and tube ends, for both
cleaning and inspection, but have a significant
disadvantage in that they have a tendency to leak at the
plate to box gasket. Treat it like any other
channel/channel cover and you can't go far wrong…

Better gasketing –
Unlike other manufacturers, our gaskets do not seat on the
tubesheet face where misalignment can easily occur and the
potential for erosion exists. Our shellside gaskets are easier
to remove than the wedge type of gasketing used by others.

Separate tubeside and shellside gaskets prevent interstream

leakage.

Round flanges for more effective gasket seating than the

square flanges used by others.

50 75
Plug Type Header Boxes - Internal inspection of plug type
header boxes on “Fin Fan” type air cooled heat exchangers
is frequently only semi productive. Because of the limited
access to the header box, one sees less than half of the
internal surface. The most that's actually accomplished is
to inspect the tubesheet, tube ends and the first few
inches of the tubes. For this reason, Eddy Current or RFMT
is almost always performed on fin fan tubes, usually from
10% to 20% of the tubes.
74
Longitudinal
fintubes
(how Brown
Fintube got
our name) –
Longitudinal
fins provide extended heat transfer surface with relatively
low resulting pressure drops. They can be cut-and-twisted
or used in conjunction with peripheral
baffles for further enhancement.
Twisted Tube™ - Twisted Tubes
simultaneously enhance both the
shellside and tubeside heat transfer
rates. They are self supporting and
allow the straight through cleaning of
the shellside, despite being on a
triangular tube pitch. The risk of flow
induced vibration is eliminated with this
design and shellside fouling is
minimized due to the elimination of
"dead" spots commonly found when traditional segmental
baffles are utilized.
Low Pressure Drop (LPD) Baffles - Low Pressure Drop Lok-
Baffles act primarily as
tube supports and
are used for high
shellside flow rates,
low allowable pressure drops, or when the shellside
coefficient does not limit the overall heat transfer rate.
Twisted Tube™ - Twisted Tubes are used to promote
turbulence of the tubeside fluid. They are also used for
vaporizing services, and when tube inserts are not
preferred.
51
 Tube Inserts – A review of the header parts is probably not amiss, either…
Brown Fintube offers a variety of tube inserts which serve to
maximize the heat transfer rates of viscous fluids. They are
also used for vaporizing services.

ALCO Turbulators
ALCO utilizes turbulators to improve the performance of new
and existing Multi-Tube Hairpin Exchangers and Shell & Tube
Exchangers. Turbulators are twisted tape static mixers
installed in the exchanger tubes.
Turbulators

Benefits & Features

Improved overall Heat Transfer Rate. Heat Transfer
Coefficients improve approximately three to five times than
that of open tubes. Economical way to upgrade
performance of an existing exchanger. Reduce the
required size of new exchanger.
Converts laminar flow to turbulent flow.

Continuous self-cleaning swirling motion reduces fouling,

film build-up, and costly downtime.
Constant mixing keeps fluid at a uniform temperature, But enough of that, on to the inspection…
reducing gradients which may lead to thermal breakdown.
73
52
 Inspection of Air Cooled Exchangers
I suspect a quick look at the parts before I discuss how to
inspect a “Fin Fan” (A proprietary name, used generically)
is a good idea, at least for me. Personally, I’d try to take
the Picture with me when I went out to do the inspection.
72
Exchanger Inspection 101
Visual Inspection of Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers
The inspection of heat exchangers is the one area of
equipment inspection where I firmly advocate the use of a
check list to make sure you got everything. The reason that
I do so is that in my opinion, with the parts scattered and the
confusion endemic to the bundle slab, it’s easy to miss a
part, or to only partially inspect a part. I’ll include sample
checklists, as well as a sample Excel type sheet for those
unfortunates that might be tasked with multiple exchangers,
and a typical wall chart for exchangers at the back of this
book. On to the inspection!!!
**Hopefully, by this time you already know what to look for
on a gasket surface, but just in case, here’s a list:
Actual gasket seating surface – cuts, dings or gouges that
extend across greater than 25% of the surface. Severity
weighting should be given to those which start from the
pressure side, are particularly deep, or which have displaced,
raised metal which might interfere with the gasket sealing.
If the “defect” doesn’t go deeper than the serrations, it
generally won’t cause a leak, except in high pressure steam
service. Watch for nibbling away of the actual seating
surface outward from the stagnant area and if there’s a
nubbin, check that the nubbin is intact and “square”. The
best way to do this is with your fingers as well as your eyes.
53
Serrated stagnant area - The remaining serrations. bottom and top centerline, as well as all the welds. The
Corrosion, pitting, cuts or gouges which might lead shell to shell cover joint, whether the shell cover is integral
process fluids to the aforementioned gasket seating or not, is a prime location for corrosion, as is the shell
surface Stagnant area – The area inward from the actual immediately adjacent to the weld and the shell cover
gasket seating surface, through the knuckle. Corrosion in bottom third or so.
this area is often difficult to quantify, and gets ignored,
since there’s lots of metal there, but the corrosion
allowance doesn’t say everywhere except…
Pass partition gasket seating surfaces – Should be straight
and true on both sides. Some degradation of the edges is
normal, but there needs to be at least an eighth inch of
flat, smooth surface from end to end to ensure the gasket
seats.**

Channel Cover: Mostly open area, pitting and corrosion are

common. The gasket surface 360o and across the face for
the pass partition is of primary importance. Persistent
leakers may be warped and should be dialed in by a
machinist. A WORD ON THE NUBBIN
Metal jacketed and double jacketed gaskets
When used on a tongue and groove joint without a nubbin,
the gasket should be installed so that the tongue bears on
the seamless side. When a nubbin is used, the nubbin
should bear on the seamless side. Nubbins are
usually 1/16th inch wide, by 1/32" high. If the height
varies significantly (by touch), remachine!!!
54 71
First, shadow the shell from the outside (presupposing that
entry is possible). You should be able to see, if not
quantify, a lot of what you are going to find from right
there. From the flange, you can see; one of the two prime
areas for deposit collection, which are right up against the
back of the tubesheet, and at the back of the shell, below
the bundle. You can see the primary location of any
extraction damage, i.e., gouges to the shell internal
surface, as well as any damage to the skid bars. Any
bulges or distortions of the shell will be most evident when
shadowing from the end, and any severe baffle wear on the
shell will be very evident.

Remember though, EVERYTHING looks worse when it’s

shadowed. As you crawl the shell, all the items that were
visually noted from the flange should be checked out for
validity and quantified, as well as any corrosion that wasn’t
visible from outside. I try to pay particular attention to any
phase change marks (like those in a drum) on the shell that
might lead me to expect different corrosion
characteristics, the nozzles internal surfaces and the 55
70
Channel: I look at channels in as methodical a method as I
can. I try to look at the channel cover end first, followed by
the barrel/shell, then the shell cover end. The nozzle internal
attachment welds and the nozzle bore are next. A mirror is a
must for this inspection. . Also, special attention should be
paid to any bull plug vents. They may be corroded out, with
all the threads gone except the threads holding the plug.
These vents are usually 3000# or 6000# couplings, and are
difficult to hydroblast free of deposits. Buster Powell
says; “They should remove the bull plugs before blasting.”
That applies to blind flanges, too.

The variations in design seem endless, and a certain

amount of “Figuring it Out” is frequently necessary.

The Shell and Shell Cover – (For the sake of this book,
we’re going to pretend that all shell covers are left in
place. This is a fairly common occurrence, with both pro’s
and con’s, but if the shell cover is dropped, you treat it just
like any other component.)
I approach the shell like any other internal inspection, with
this proviso; I REALLY don’t like to inspect wet shells. If
you inspect shells immediately after hydroblasting, you
WILL miss stuff. Maybe not today, but eventually, if you
continue to do it, you will. All wet shiny stuff looks wet
and shiny, and that’s all it looks like.
First, I look at the bolt circle, flange face, gasket surface,
nubbin if present, stagnant area and attachment weld.

A note on bolt circles… Try as I might, I can find nowhere

in the codes that says you can lose ANY of the thickness of
the bolt circle. I’ve put what I have found in the back of
the book…
56 On to the shell… 69
Floating Head – The floating head requires no special
inspection, treat it like any other component. Do look
closely, as always.
68
**Cooling Water Service Tubeside - Cooling water deposits
are bad… Make them blast the channel clean of deposits,
but, if
possible, without disturbing the black oxide scale. This
black scale is a corrosion barrier, and with a little luck on
the part of the client, more will form where the
Microbiologicals in the deposits have been blasted away.
Don’t inspect a dirty channel, especially if there are
tubercles/carbuncular deposits. There is no way to
predict how deep the corrosion under deposits may be.
57
Process Tubeside - The inspection is usually a lot more
boring, but any corrosion found is usually taken much more
seriously, for obvious reasons. Again, don’t let’em talk you
into inspecting it without cleaning, too many things can be
masked by even a thin coating of “black nasties”. **
58
I then walk around the bundle again, looking at the tube
OD’s. I check closely at the tubesheet to tube junction,
and the “U” bends, too., as well as the length of the tube. I
look at the impingement plate, plate attachment tacks and
the surface of the tubes around the plate. If there isn’t an
impingement plate, I try to find indications of inlet/outlet
locations.
67
Bundle - Again, may not be the best way, just the way I do
it. I try to find the angle that I can look through the bundle,
and slowly walk around the bundle, tapping tubes, tie rods
and baffles, but primarily looking through the bundle,
checking for fouling and/or distorted tubes.. If the baffles
or tubes sound at all loose (and they almost always do), I
stop and look to see if there’s hole enlargement and/or
fretting damage to the tubes.
66
Primary (Stationary) Tubesheet - Channel End Tubesheet
on a removable bundle, or on a multi-pass fixed tubesheet.
Again, I look at the gasket seating surface(s), first and
foremost, then the tubesheet itself. Tubesheets are
subject to a variety of corrosion, from simple corrosion
under deposits, to service induced cracking, surface
checking and galvanic or turbulence induced corrosion at
the tube perforation.
59
Tube ends - Tube ends should be intact and square, with
no corrosion taking little bites out…
They should not be thinning to knife edges, or corroded
below the tubesheet surface. Any mechanical damage
should, of course, be noted, as well as the number of plugs
installed.
60
Secondary Tubesheet – The other one… If there’s more
than two, it’s too weird for me to inspect. On a fixed
tubesheet exchanger, they’re identical. On a floating head,
the secondary tubesheet is small enough to pass through
the shell, and will probably have a seating angle for the
split backing ring. (Don’t forget to check this area for
humps, bumps and other things that might make the split
ring not seat right. Check the split rings for twisting that
might make them not seat right, since this can effect the
seating of the floating head, too.)
65
 Tube ID’s - This is one of the few areas where I use
“Weasel Wording” on a regular basis. “That portion of the
tube ID’s visible…”, ‘Cause you can’t see very much, and
what you can see, you can’t quantify. I’ve had old timers
from Mobil Oil tell me that they can tell how deep ID pitting
is with a “Pit Picker”, but I don’t have the touch, I guess,
and that’s still only a few feet down the tube. As the
following pictures show, the only good way to survey the
inside of a tube is with a video boroscope. Flashlights are
horrible. Reflected sunlight is better, but still very limited,
and even a boroscope sucks if the conditions aren’t just
right. Be that as it may, when doing a visual, try to use
sunlight. Note any visible pitting and scale. Note any
damage at the tube rolls, and any longitudinal die marks
(these are a prime spot for corrosion to start).

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