Corrosion and Performance Issues for

Immersion Service Shell and Tube Heat

Exchangers
 Condenser & Heat Exchanger Applications

ÿ Tubesheet coatings
ÿ Tube-end ID coatings
ÿ Full-length tube coatings
ÿ Waterbox & channel heads coatings
ÿ Flange sealing
ÿ Coating Service And Circulating Water Piping
 Tubesheet Problems

ÿ Mechanical stress ದ may break the rolled tube

joint
ÿ Erosion/Corrosion ದ lost tubesheet metal
ÿ Galvanic corrosion
ÿ Dealloying
ÿ MIC ದ (Microbiological Influenced Corrosion)
ÿ Crevice Corrosion
ÿ Pitting
 Tube-end Problems

ÿErosion/Corrosion ದlost tube

metal ÿCrevice Corrosion
ÿMIC
Aluminum bronze tubesheet with titanium tubes
Microbiological Corrosion (MIC) on Stainless
Galvanic Attack ದ Stainless Tubes with Carbon Steel
Tubesheet
Environmental Control Equipment
- dehumidification, and dust collection -
ultra high pressure cleaning to remove
coatings and decontaminate surface
Protective plugs installed tubesheet abrasive
ದ

blasted
Protective plugs removed
Coating plugs installed
Many different sizes of plugs often required
Coating plug tops are leveled off this
ದ

determines The thickness of the coating

First coat applied
Second, build coat applied
ಯ ದ
Excess build coat sanded off to tops of coating
plugs
Coating plugs are removed
Top coat applied to fill in sanding marks
Crevise Corrosion and MIC on Stainless
Inlet tube erosion on copper alloy tubes
If required, tube-end coating is applied
Second tube-end coat applied
Final Product
 Full-Length Tube Problems

ÿ General thinning

ÿ Pitting
ÿ Under deposit corrosion
ÿ Crevice
ÿ MIC

ÿ Copper Release From Tubes

 Objectives for Conventional Tube Coatings

ÿ Apply a uniform film in one or more coats

ÿ Coating thickness sufficient to protect the

whole tube
Pit

Tube Wall
 Coating Film
Pit With Insufficient Coating
Pit With Minimally Sufficient Coating Excessive Coating Film
 Minimal Coating Film
Pit Completely Filled With Coating
 Objectives for New Approach
ÿ Target and fill (Remediate) the existing pits
and holes

ÿ Apply a uniform but minimal film over un-

pitted tube surface

ÿ Take advantage of the alloy substrate

 Specifics of the New Method
ÿ Cleaning the tube
ͻ Rough cleaning
ͻ Decontamination
ͻ Final cleaning

ÿ Coating the tube

ͻ Patented ͞squeegee pigg
ͻ Pits completely filled
ͻ Coating thickness < 1 mil
Sealing Pits & Holes
Before and After

Hydrogen Cooler holes and pits

Before and After
Hydrogen Cooler holes and pits
 Characteristics
of the Tube Coating
ÿ 100% solids

ÿ Low viscosity

ÿ Durable

ÿ Thermal Conductivity

ÿ Anti-fouling
Environmental Control Equipment
45
 Do or Die

ÿUn-Plugged 1,150 brass tubes

ÿ Coated 5,564 brass tubes
ÿ 10 day project duration
ÿHydro -- 55 brass tubes still leaking and were
re-plugged
ÿ Unit has run reliably with no apparent heat
rate issue.
Do or Die
 Do or Die
epoxy ͞dotsg on tube OD showing repaired holes
 Copper Stopper

ÿ 500 Mw unit on Lake Michigan

ÿ Admiralty tubes

ÿ In 2006 regulations mandated a reduction in

copper discharge from 100 ppb to 12 ppb by
2011
 Actions Taken

ÿ Retubed the condenser with 304 SS

ÿ Still had not met goal of 12 ppb

ÿ Coated the tubes of two Bearing Cooling

Water Heat Exchangers
! 1,600 Admiralty tubes, 200͛ long
 Results
(graph courtesy of NIPSCO)
 Hydrogen & Exciter Coolers

ÿ Siemens Energy during re-wind of generator

11-23-13 call for emergency response to coat
1 hydrogen cooler and 2 exciter coolers 2
weeks before RFO

ÿ Hydrogen cooler 572, 7/8g, 20 BWG, 316L SS tubes

450͛ long AND 2 exciter coolers with 100,
7-8g, 20 BWG, 316L SS tubes 70͛ long
 Hydrogen & Exciter Coolers

ÿ Tubes were 3 years old

ÿ At RFO with 18 months in service tubes had an

average wall loss of 10%, and at current RFO had 36
months in service with an average wall loss of 60%

ÿ 157 tubes being 90-100% thru wall.

 Innovation in Individual Tube Testing

ÿ Typical Pressure Equipment

 Innovation in Individual Tube Testing
ÿ First Improvements
ÿ Written protocol with recorded results
ÿ Change out the pressure gauge to digital
ÿ Easier to read
ÿ More accurate
 Innovation in Individual Tube Testing

ÿ Second Improvement
ÿ Automate the entire process
ÿ Computer controlled with variable inputs
ÿ Tube length and ID
ÿ Test pressure
ÿ Dwell time
ÿ Pass / Fail criteria
ÿ Correlates to target criterial for hole size
 Innovation in Individual Tube Testing
ÿ Components of the new system
ÿ Computer / Software
 Report on Activity

ÿ Past nine months:

ÿ All Condenser Tubes
ÿ Six Units
ÿ 60,000 tubes (400 miles)
ÿ 48,000 tubes tested with new system
ÿ To Date:
ÿ 32 Generating Units
ÿ Over 200,000 tubes coated
ÿ Over 14,000 miles of tubes coated
Equipment Package
Waterbox and Channel Heads

ÿCoatings protect surfaces and can

help with fouling control

ÿThickness of coating determines

longevity and ability to withstand
abuse
 Flange Sealing

ÿStops Air Inleakage

ÿStops raw water Inleakage around

bolts and gaskets
CATAWBA SERVICE WATER
INTAKE PIPE PROJECT