Chiller Heat Exchanger Rupture Clean Up

[Jethro Bush]

We have had a rupture of a heat exchanger in a chiller. We have removed the water logged burnt out compressors and the ruptured heat exchanger and as much of the water logged refrigeration piping as possible. What is the best way of removing all excess water from the finned coil? We have been mopping up with nitrogen and evacuating overnight for the last week.

[RANGER1]

We have had a rupture of a heat exchanger in a chiller. We have removed the water logged burnt out compressors and the ruptured heat exchanger and as much of the water logged refrigeration piping as possible. What is the best way of removing all excess water from the finned coil? We have been mopping up with nitrogen and evacuating overnight for the last week.

Try to add heat over a period to drive moisture out.
Obviously not a oxy torch, but something like a space heater of some description without the risk of fire etc.

[NewmanRef]

Probably best to chemically clean the system. Flush through with endo-flush. This will flush out contaminated oil from the system as well.

[airtrackinc]

In firetube boilers, hot combustion gasses pass through the tubes depositing soot and scale on the tube walls. Heat transfer properties of the tubes are reduced as this layer of deposit builds up and the boiler must work harder to provide the required heat. This causes undue wear on motors, blowers and controls, resulting in higher operating costs and increased fuel consumption. Regular cleaning of the fireside surfaces yields big payoffs in lower operating costs and fuel savings. No matter what fuel is burned, firetubes have to be cleaned.

Various methods have been employed over the years for cleaning boiler firetubes. Firetubes were traditionally cleaned manually using a brush mounted on a long rod which was manually pushed through the tubes - a dirty, labor intensive job. In some cases, firetubes were washed out with a fire hose, creating a huge mess.

In many cases, nowadays, these methods prove to be impractical and ineffective, taking too much time and labor. Semi automatic equipment has been developed which speeds up cleaning operations and does not create the mess associated with firetube cleaning. One such device mechanically drives a stiff brush or scraper through the tube while a powerful vacuum simultaneously collects the soot and scale. Because the job is easy, tube cleaning can be performed more often, resulting in much lower operating costs.

In some firetube boilers, such as waste heat and process boilers, scale build up occurs which a simple in-out brushing action cannot effectively clean. A rotary cleaning action is required to remove the scale deposit. One approach is the use of a rotary flexible shaft machine which spins a cleaning tool through the tube while a vacuum collects the loosened deposits at the same time. Many operators find this equipment much easier to use than turbine motors or a drill with a rod attached.

In watertube boilers, water traveling through the tubes is heated to very high temperatures causing the solids in the water to settle onto the tube surfaces. Scaling is a common problem in watertube boilers. One cannot rely on water treatment alone to prevent scale build up. Just as is the case with firetube boilers, scale in watertubes leads to the same higher costs. Again, regular cleaning of the tubes pays dividends.

Traditional watertube cleaning equipment consisted of an air or water driven turbine motor attached to the end of a hose with a cutter head mounted on the front of the turbine. This equipment proved awkward to use, somewhat expensive and difficult to maintain. The same rotary flexible shaft approach used in firetube boiler cleaning can be employed with watertubes. Air powered machines of this type are in use for this application and users find it easier to handle, more powerful and less costly.