High Pressure Heaters Efficiency

Improvement
OBBJECTIVE: TO REMOVE FORMED DEPOSITS OF SILICATES FROM HP HEATER TUBES
INSIDE & OUTSIDE SURFACE

1. Tube inside (Feed water side) cleaning:

a) Feed water line both inlet and outlet valves with their bypass valves kept shut.
b) WATER FLUSHING:
DM water (7.8 8.0 pH) filling in the tubes through inlet side water box drain line
is done.
Outlet side water box vent valve is kept
opened
for venting with a flexible hose
covering the
height of the tubes and drain valve is
kept shut.
WATER CIRCULATION for the duration of
mins
is carried out to remove all loose
deposits, dirt,
dust, etc.
c) CHEMICAL CLEANING:
After filling with DM water inside the
tubes, a
mixture (DESCAL-AL) of citric acid
(monohy
drated) and ammonium bi-fluoride in
the ratio
(37kg : 17kg) is prepared in a drum
(200 litre)
with water. Both are in granular form.
Then,
this chemical mixture is injected into the tubes

15

inside with a Pump through the drain line and

circulate to the drum through the vent pipe.
The circulating time is about 03 hrs. keeping pH
value of circulating water 2.5-3.0 pH.In the middle
of circulation, (200 250 ml) of an inhibitor (non-ionic surface content) is added
to the solution in

the drum .This chemical circulation is carried out for removal of iron
oxide as well as silica.
However, the concentration of the chemical as well as the duration of the
circulation can be
increased or decreased upon the scale formation. The tubes are allowed in
soaking condition
for 3 to 6 hrs.
d) The entire solution is drained out from tubes inside.

e) WATER WASH:
The system is again filled up with DM water and carried out the mass
circulation till the pH
at the outlet is same as that at the inlet of the system (i.e., pH value of DM
water).

f) PASSIVATION:
The system is again filled up with DM water. A mixture of 0.1% Sodium
Carbonate and 0.5%
Tri-Sodium Phosphate is prepared in the ratio (10 kg : 5 kg) with water. Then it
is injected
and Circulated with a pump through the drain line (just like as the time of
chemical cleaning).

The circulating time is about 30 mins. keeping pH value of circulating water 9.0
10.0 pH. The
tubes are allowed in soaking condition for 15 mins.
g) The entire solution is drained out from tubes inside.

e) WATER WASH:
The system is again filled up with DM water and carried out the mass
circulation till the pH at the
outlet is same as that at the inlet of the system (i.e., pH value of DM water).

1. Tube outside (Steam side) cleaning:

a) All extraction line, drip line are blanked.
Steam space i.e. shell drain line valve, both stand
pipes
top and bottom isolating valves, local
pressure
gauge isolating valve are kept shut. Shell
vent
line top is kept.

b) Shell side is filled with DM water through a

tapping line in the extraction line, keeping
venting through the shell vent. After filling
fully, some water is drained through the
drain

line to drain out loose deposits, dirt, dust, etc.,

if any, and to provide some empty space for
chemical pouring and air blowing inside the shell.

c) 15 litre inhibitor (non-ionic surf cent) is poured

inside the shell through the vent after cutting the
vent pipe at the top of the shell. The inhibitor is
mixed with water inside shell by air blowing
through the body drain line for 10 15 mins.
d) This mixed water is kept for 08 hrs. for soaking and drained out.