Friday 14 October 2011

Heat Exchangers

Function :
A heat exchanger is a piece of equipment built for efficient heat transfer from one medium to another. The media may be separated by a solid wall, so that they never mix, or they may be in direct contact.[1] They are widely used in space heating, refrigeration, air conditioning, power plants, chemical plants, petrochemical plants, petroleum refineries, natural gas processing, and sewage treatment. The classic example of a heat exchanger is found in an internal combustion engine in which a circulating fluid known as engine coolant flows through radiator coils and air flows past the coils, which cools the coolant and heats the incoming air.
Contruction Code & NDT :
TEMA or ASME
Technique Inspection :
Titanium, Stainless Steel, CuNi, AlBrass - Eddy Current
Carbon Steel - IRIS or RFET
In-service defect :
Tube leaking, Erosion, attack at buffer plate area.

Baffle plate normally will give false indication to RFET & Eddy Current. However, please interpreate the baffle plate areas for fretting defect or Ammonia attack.