OISD - 134

Amended edition

FOR RESTRICTED
CIRCULATION

No.

INSPECTION OF HEAT EXCHANGERS

OISD - STANDARD-134
First Edition, March 1990
Amended edition, August, 1999

OIL INDUSTRY SAFETY DIRECTORATE

Government of India
Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas
 OISD STANDARD - 134
First Edition, March 1990
Amended edition,
August, 1999

FOR RESTRICTED
CIRCULATION

No.

INSPECTION OF HEAT EXCHANGERS

Prepared by

COMMITTEE ON
INSPECTION OF STATIC EQUIPMENT

OIL INDUSTRY SAFETY DIRECTORATE

2ND FLOOR, KAILASH
26, KASTURBA GANDHI MARG,
NEW DELHI 110 001
 NOTES

OISD publications are prepared for use in the Oil and

gas industry under Ministry of Petroleum and Chemicals.
These are the property of Ministry of Petroleum and Chemicals
and shall not be reproduced or copied and loaned or exhibited
to others without written consent from OISD.

Though every effort has been made to assure the

accuracy and reliability of data contained in these documents,
OISD hereby expressly disclaims any liability or responsibility
for loss or damage resulting from their use.

These documents are intended to supplement rather

than replace the prevailing statutory requirements.

Note1 in superscript indicates the

modification/changes/addition based on the
amendments approved in the 17 th Safety Council
meeting held in July, 1999.
 FOREWORD

The Oil Industry in India is 100 years old. Because of

various collaboration agreements, a variety of international
codes, standards and practices have been in vogue.
Standardisation in design philosophies and operating and
maintenance practices at a national level was hardly in
existence. This, coupled with feed back from some serious
accidents that occurred in the recent past in India and abroad,
emphasized the need for the industry to review the existing
state of art in designing, operating and maintaining oil and gas
installations.

With this in view, the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural

Gas, in 1986, constituted a Safety Council assisted by Oil
Industry Safety Directorate (OISD), staffed from within the
industry, in formulating and implementing a series of self
regulatory measures on various subjects.

The present document on Inspection of Heat

Exchangers was prepared by the Functional Committee on
Inspection of Static Equipment. This document is based on
the accumulated knowledge and experience of industry
members and the various national and international codes and
practices. It is hoped that the provisions of this document,
when adopted may go a long way to improve the safety and
reduce accidents in the Oil and Gas Industry. Suggestions are
invited from the users, after it is put into practice, to improve
the document further. Suggestions for amendments to this
document should be addressed to

The Co-ordinator,
Committee on Inspection of Static Equipment,
Oil Industry Safety Directorate,
2nd Floor, Kailash
26, Kasturba Gandhi Marg,
New Delhi 110 001

This standard in no way supersedes the statutory

regulations of CCE, Factory Inspectorate or other Govt. body
which must be followed as applicable.
 COMMITTEE
ON
INSPECTION OF STATIC EQUIPMENT
List of Members
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name Designation & Position in
Organisation Committee
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Sh. R.K. Sabharwal Chief Maint.Mgr Leader
IOC (R &D)

2. Sh.R.H. Vohra Dy.Gen.Mgr.(E) Member

3. Sh.D.P. Dhall CH INSP & AE MGR-BPC (REF) Member

4. Sh.P. Dasgupta Sr. Manager - Inspection IOC (R & D) Member

5. Sh.I.M. Advani MGR - (PROJ) HPC (REF) Member

6. Sh.V.K. Moorthy Dy.Suptd. Engineer-ONGC. Member

7. Sh.R.M.N. Marar Jt.Director OISD Member

Co-ordinator.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In addition to the above, various other experts from the industry contributed in the
preparation, review and finalisation of this document.
 INSPECTION OF HEAT EXCHANGERS

CONTENTS

SECTION PAGE NO.

1.0 Introduction
2.0 Scope
3.0 Names and Functions of Heat Exchangers
3.1 Types of Heat Exchangers
3.1.1 Box Cooler
3.1.2 Double pipe exchanger
3.1.3 Fan Cooler
3.1.4 Shell and Tube exchanger

4.0 Inspection Role

5.0 Tools for Inspection

6.0 Inspection of Heat Exchangers During Fabrication

7.0 Check List for Inspection of Heat exchangers Prior to

erection and commissioning

8.0 Likely Locations of Metal wastage

8.1 Material of construction
8.2 Shell
8.3 Shell cover
8.4 Tubes
8.5 Tube Sheets
8.6 Floating Head cover
8.7 Channel and Channel cover
8.8 Baffles
8.9 Air cooled Exchangers
8.10 Box cooler

9.0 Frequency of Inspection

10.0 Inspection Procedures

10.1 Onstream Inspection
10.2 Shutdown Inspection
10.2.1 Shell covers Channel, Channel Cover and Floating Head cover
10.2.2 The Bundle
10.2.3 General
10.2.4 Air Cooler
10.2.5 Box Cooler
10.2.6 Double Pipe Coolers

11.0 Repairs and Follow-up

12.0 Testing
12.1 Procedure on Testing of shell and Tube Exchangers
12.2 Procedure of Testing of Box Type Coolers
12.3 Procedure of Testing on Double Pipe Exchangers

13.0 Limits of Thickness

14.0 Record and Documentation

15.0 References
1.0 INTRODUCTION
A steam heater uses steam to heat
Safety in refineries comes thorough either water or process fluid.
continuous efforts at all stages and as such
it can be ensured by observing that plant vi) STEAM GENERATOR /
and equipment are designed, constructed WASTE HEAT BOILER
tested and maintained as per Engineering
Standards, and subsequently modifications A steam generator produces
and repairs are conforming to the same steam from water using hot
standard. process fluid (that requires
cooling) or hot gases produced
2.0 SCOPE in chemical reaction.

This standard covers the minimum vii) REBOILER

inspection requirements for heat
exchangers or any heat exchanging A reboiler uses steam or any hot
equipment used in a petroleum installation. fluid to heat process fluid
Areas to be inspected, causes for (hydrocarbon) for distillation
deterioration, frequency of inspection and column.
testing have also been included in this
standard. This standard also covers in brief
3.1 TYPES OF HEAT
fabrication and pre commissioning checks.
EXCHANGERS
3.0 NAMES AND FUNCTIONS
OF HEAT EXCHANGERS 3.1.1 Box cooler

The simplest heat transfer

Heat exchangers are used
equipment is a length of steel pipe
whenever it is desirable or necessary to
submerged in a tank of water. The
heat or cool a fluid. Individual heat transfer
liquid to be cooled flows inside the
equipment are named after the function
pipe. The coil in the water tank is
which they perform.
commonly called box cooler. It is
generally built from long steel pipes
I) COOLER which are flanged at inlet and outlet
ends and connected together by
A Cooler cools the process fluid, means of return bends. Cooling
using water or air, with no change of water enters from the bottom of the
phase. box and passes through the
overflow outlet at the top. Box
ii) CHILLER coolers are mainly used for cooling
very hot streams like distillation
A Chiller uses a refrigerant to cool tower bottoms or asphalt. Two
process fluid to a temperature below disadvantages of submerged pipe
that obtainable with water. coils are low rate of heat transfer
and relatively large area required to
iii) CONDENSER get the needed cooling.

A condenser condenses a vapour or 3.1.2 Double Pipe Exchanger

mixture of vapours using water or air.
The double pipe unit is completely
iv) EXCHANGER enclosed and allows the heat
transfer element, the pipe, to be
An exchanger performs two surrounded by a faster moving
functions in that it heats a cold coolant. The double pipe provides
process fluid by recovering heat counter flow, that is, the hot and
from a hot fluid which it cools. cold fluids flow in opposite direction
None of the transferred heat is lost. which is a very desirable feature for
efficient heat transfer. A variation
v) STEAM HEATER of double pipe unit is extended
surface exchanger, best known as
 fin tube cooler. Double pipe
exchangers are compact and can
easily be stacked for connection in
parallel or series.
3.1.3 Fan cooler
Air cooled exchangers are usually
designed and fabricated as per API
661. They are exclusively
constructed with tubes mostly in
horizontal position stacked in layers
and their ends rolled and/or welded
to tube sheets enclosed by header
compartments. Air is circulated by
a fan placed either above or at the
bottom of the steel framework in
which the entire assembly is fixed.
These coolers are used for
condensing vapour or cooling fluids
by blowing air and are installed
where water is scarce or from
economic viability upto certain
optimised temperature.
3.1.4 Shell and Tube Exchanger
Although the type of exchangers
mentioned above are widely used,
the major portion of heat exchange
is done with shell and tube
exchangers. In general, a shell and
tube exchanger consists of a shell,
a tube bundle, a channel head,
floating head cover and shell cover.
Commonly used shell and tube type
exchangers are as follows:
a) Floating Head Exchangers
The exchanger consists of a
cylindrical shell flanged at both
ends, a tube bundle with a tube
sheet at each end, a channel with
cover, a floating head cover and a
shell cover. (The diameter of
floating tube sheet is smaller than
the shell diameter so that tube
bundle can be inserted into the
shell). The diameter of the
stationary tube sheet is large
enough to bear on the gasket
surface of one shell flange. The
channel is bolted onto this shell
flange so as to hold the stationary
tube sheet in position. Similarly, the
floating head cover is bolted onto
the smaller (floating) tube sheet.
The shell cover is thereafter bolted
in its place. Suitable partition
arrangements in several tube side
passes. The flow through the shell
is directed by baffles as desired.
The floating tube sheet is free to
move in the shell. This type of
construction permits free expansion
and contraction with changes in
temperature. This type of
exchanger is most commonly used.
b) Fixed Tube Sheet Exchanger
The simplest and least expensive
type of shell and tube equipment is
the fixed sheet type exchanger. It
consists of two tube sheets welded
to the shell with the tubes rolled into
the tube sheets, with channel head
on either side. Since the tube
bundle cannot be pulled out, this
type of exchanger is suitable for
services where there is little
possibility of fouling on the outside
of the tubes, otherwise chemical
cleaning will need to be done. Also,
temperature conditions should be
such that the stresses due to
differential thermal expansion
between shell and the tube does not
over stress shell or tube, otherwise
expansion bellows will need to be
provided on shell to take care of
this differential thermal expansion.
c) U-tube Exchanger
The U-tube construction offers several
advantages over fixed tube sheet
exchangers. In this type of
exchanger, each tube is permitted
to expand and contract independent
of the other tubes. The U-tube
bundle is usually equipped with
welded shell cover. One
disadvantage of the U-tube
exchanger is that tubes are difficult
to clean internally. The other
disadvantage is that replacement of
leaky tubes in the inner row
involves unnecessary cutting of
good tubes in the outer rows.
d) Double Tube Sheet Exchanger
In certain services where even
minute leakage of one fluid into
another cannot be tolerated, a
double tube sheet construction can
be employed. In the tube bundle,
two tube sheets are installed with
approx. 1 or less gap between
 them and the tube ends rolled into vi) To inspect while the repairs are in
both the tube sheets. The zone progress and to accept after
between the tube sheets can be completion of repairs.
made pressure tight. Any roll
leakage from either shell or tube vii) To maintain up to date maintenance
side passes into the zone between and inspection records and history of
the tube sheets, can be drained off. heat exchanging equipment.
This can be done only in U-tube
exchangers. viii) To keep the concerned operating
and maintenance personnel
e) Reboiler/Kettle Shell informed about the condition of
various heat exchangers.
The primary use of this exchanger is
boiling the fluid for distillation. The ix) To ensure that heat exchangers are
kettle shell is used in the reboilers or inspected as per schedule of
chiller. The fluid to be heated in the inspection and the statutory
shell and the heating medium, generally requirements as applicable.
steam, is in the tubes. The shell of the
kettle tube reboiler has large vapour 5.0 TOOLS FOR INSPECTION
space over the tube bundle. A kettle
type reboiler has several advantages The common tools used for
over standard heat exchanges in similar inspection of heat exchangers are given
service. It has a lower pressure drop below:
and can handle widely fluctuating load.
The same type of construction is used i) Ultrasonic flaw detector and
in some chillers. For this service a thickness gauge.
volatile cooling medium such as ii) Radiographic equipment
propane is in shell and fluid to be iii) Magnetic particle inspection
cooled in tubes. The latent heat of equipment
vapourisation is absorbed from the iv) Fibroscope/Boroscope
cooled medium. v) Dye penetrant inspection equipment
vi) Inspectors hammer
For the purpose of this standard, the vii) Inside and outside calipers
term Heat Exchanger shall mean all the viii) Flash light
heat changing equipments as defined ix) Small magnet
above. x) Small mirror
xi) Pit gauge
4.0 INSPECTION ROLE xii) Steel foot rule
xiii) Plumb line and levels
The following are the responsibilities of xiv) Scraper
Inspection Division: xv) Wirebrush
xvi) Magnifying glass
i) To inspect, measure and record the xvii) Portable eddy current tester NOTE1
deterioration of material and to
evaluate present physical condition
of heat exchanger and its
components for their soundness to
continue in service.
ii) To correlate the deterioration and to
advise remedial measures.
iii) To determine cause of deterioration 6.0 INSPECTION OF HEAT
and to advise remedial measures. EXCHANGERS DURING
iv) To recommend/forecast short term FABRICATION
and long term repairs and
replacements to ensure further run Inspection of heat exchangers
lengths on the basis of economics during fabrication should be carried out as
and safety. per requirement of applicable codes.
v) To recommend procurement action
of materials for meeting the The following inspection checks
repair/replacement needs NOTE1. shall be carried out stagewise.
 i) Study of all tender documents and Manufacturer
all technical specifications.
ii) Identification of all the material. Main Dimensions
iii) Testing of all the welders for welders a) Shell
qualification and procedure b) Tube
qualification as per codes and as per
the fabrication drawings. Material of construction
iv) Ensuring that welding of all the Shell
exchanger components is being Shell cover
done as per agreed welding Channel Head
sequence using approved Channel Head Cover
electrodes. Floating Head Cover
v) Checking of all the exchanger parts Tubes
as per required NDT methods Tube Sheets
before final matching is carried Baffles
out. Fasteners
vi) Ensuring radiography is done before
as well as after post weld heat Maximum Allowable Working
treatment if such treatment is Pressure
required. Maximum Allowable Working
Temperature
vii) Inspection of lining on the shell, Stress-relieved
channel, channel covers and floating Radiography
head covers as per procedure Hydrostatic Test Pressure
mentioned in inspection of Erection Contractor
Pressure Vessels-OISD Standard- Contractors Inspector
128. Companys Inspector
Date of Inspection
viii) Inspection of tubes for any surface
defects and dimension tolerances as CHECK LIST
per relevant code.
CHECKS
ix) Inspection of tubesheets, after final REMARKS
machining and drilling, before
rolling of tubes for, hole diameter, i) Check for proper alignment
ligament, width, pitch and grooves of supports.
inside holes and burrs as per ii) Check name plate
required code. attachment.
iii) Check foundation/saddle
x) Inspection of Flange Gasket surface support bolts and shims for
should be carried out NOTE1. any mechanical damage.
iv) Inspect shell/channel/shell
xi) Inspection of Weld Joint of all nozzle cover for any bulges or
reinforcement pads should be dents.
carried out by air test NOTE1. v) Inspect visually weld joints
for any damage during
7.0 CHECK LIST FOR INSPECTION handling.
OF HEAT EXCHANGERS PRIOR vi) Check any alteration made
TO ERECTION AND during fabrication.
COMMISSIONING vii) Check and record wall
thickness of all the
The checklist format shall include components of exchangers
the following information. and also of their nozzles.

Equipment No. CHECKS

Service REMARKS
a) Shell
b) Tube viii) Check that the test holes in
Purchase order no. and date reinforcement plates are
Serial No. and type not plugged.
 ix) Check nozzle flanges different materials are used in
facing, gaskets and bolts for exchangers where unusual
mechanical damage. corrosion problem exists. ( An
x) Check free end of slotted example of its use will be
holes in saddles are free. where it is desirable to use.
xi) Check insulation and fire Cupro Nickel tube in sea water
proofing. cooled unit in which shell side
xii) Check painting quality. fluid is corrosive to Cupro
xiii) Check and witness Nickel)
hydrostatic tests of shell Various combinations of
and tube side. metals can be used for
xiv) Check that connected fabrication of duplex tubes
piping do not strain the NOTE1
.
exchanger nozzles.
xv) Check the Earthing Baffles: Carbon steel, Naval Brass etc.
connection.
Tube Sheets : Carbon steel, Naval Brass,
8.0 LIKELY LOCATION OF METAL Aluminum Bronze, Cupro Nickel, clad
WASTAGE carbon steel, stainless steel etc.
Floating Head : Carbon steel, Alloy Steel,
Deterioration may be expected on all cladded steel, Cast Iron, Cast Cupro Nickel
the surfaces of heat exchanger in (90 Cu 10Ni) etc.
contact with hydrocarbon, chemical, sea
water, fresh water, steam and Channels and floating head covers of
condensate. The form of attack may be coolers using sea water are sometimes
electrochemical, mechanical or striplined with suitable sea water corrosion
combination of both. The attack may resistant material.
be further influenced by certain
accelerating factors such as Stainless Steel is also used as the material
temperature, stress, fatigue, high of construction for exchangers in special
velocity of flow and impingement. services NOTE1.

8.1 MATERIAL OF CONSTRUCTION 8.2 SHELL

The material used for construction of
various parts of exchangers are
selected to resist, most economically,
the type of corrosion expected. Most
commonly used material of
construction of exchanger parts are
given below:
Shell: Carbon steel, Alloy steel,
corrosion resistant clad steel
(Monel or stainless steel
cladding).
Channel: Carbon steel, Alloy steel,
corrosion resistant clad steel
(Monel or stainless steel
cladding).
Shell Carbon steel, Alloy steel,
cover: corrosion resistant clad steel
(Monel or stainless steel
cladding).
Tubes: Carbon steel, alloy steel (5%
Cr. 1/2% Mo. etc) stainless
steel, non ferrous material
such as Admiralty/Aluminum
Brass, Cupro Nickel, Titanium
etc. Bimetallic types having
inner and outer layer of
i) Carbon steel shells are prone to internal
corrosion and pitting when hydrocarbon
streams contain compounds of sulphur
such as hydrogen sulphide or
mercaptans. At temperatures above 270
degrees C. Hydrogen sulphide reacts
with carbon steel and forms Iron
Sulphide scales. This usually results in a
fairly uniform loss of metal. This type of
corrosion is more predominant in preheat
exchangers.
ii) Internal corrosion can also occur due to
low temperature hydrochloric acid and or
hydrogen sulphide corrosion in presence
of moisture. Overhead condenser shells
in crude, vacuum, visbreaker and FCC
distillation units are prone to this type of
attack.
iii) A combination of wet hydrogen sulphide
and hydrochloric acid(that form due to
hydrolysis of chlorides in crude during
distillation) aggravates the internal
corrosion of overhead condenser shells.
It will be most pronounced in the bottom
part of the shell and lower nozzles. This
 type of corrosion is fairly uniform or in
the form of a groove following the line of
flow of the condensate.
iv)
iv) Reboiler shells are prone to internal
pitting or grooving due to steam
condensate corrosion.
v)
v) Overhead condensers, coolers and
exchangers in sour gas. MEA/DEA
service are prone to shell side cracking
due to stress corrosion cracking
phenomenon at the weld joints if they are
not properly stress relieved.
vi) Erosion/corrosion will take place around
outlet nozzles of cooler shells due to
solid particles like catalyst present in
streams.
vi)
vii) Grooving and thinning of shell may take
place in coolers or condensers at the
baffle resting locations due to galvanic
corrosion. vii)
viii) Pitting type corrosion will take place in
carbon steel heat exchangers shell in
high temperature MEA/DEA or phenol
service.
viii)
ix) External corrosion of shells may result
due to water seepage in the thermal
insulation having high chloride
concentration.
8.3 SHELL COVER
ix)
Shell cover of all the exchangers are
prone to corrosion similar to that in shells.
8.4 TUBES
i) Copper zinc alloy tubes like x)
Admiralty Brass or Aluminum Brass
tubes are susceptible to stress
corrosion cracking in pipestill
overhead condensers service due to
presence of Ammonia.
ii) Cupro-Nickel alloy tubes in overhead
condensers corrode when they are
exposed to hydrocarbon vapours
containing H2S. Sulphide scales of
nickel and copper are formed in
Alkaline medium.
8.5 TUBE SHEETS
iii) Erosion of tube ends are common in
exchangers and is more pronounced i)
where hydrocarbon streams contain
solid particles such as catalyst. This
phenomenon can be seen in
exchangers in FCC unit.
Grooving around tubes may take
place at baffle locations due to
vibrations or crevice corrosion.
Erosion corrosion occurs when the
erosion effects of the coolant
removes the protective film, thus
exposing a fresh surface to
corrosion. This type of attack occurs
mainly at the tube ends. High
velocity, abrupt change in flow
direction, entrained air and solid
particles will promote erosion
corrosion of tubes in coolers and
condensers.
Tubes in coolers and condensers are
prone to localised pitting,
dezincification or denickelification.
Tubes in exchangers and coolers are
susceptible to bulging or warping
due to exposure to high
temperatures above design range
and may finally result in cracking.
Sustained vibrations caused due to
high velocity or pulsating vapours
striking the tubes may lead to fatigue
cracks or corrosion fatigue in the
form of circumferential fracture of
the tubes.
When steam is used as a heating
medium in tube side of exchangers
and reboilers, the condensate may
cause grooving or pitting in the
tubes.
Cooler tubes are susceptible to
overheating due to partial/total
blocking caused by
a) Low velocity of water
b) Suspended solids in cooling
water
c) High water outlet temperature
resulting in the hard deposition of
CaCO3
Non ferrous tube sheets like Naval
Brass or Cupro Nickel are
susceptible to Dezincification or
 denickelification in cooling water
service.
ii) Where tubes are prone to erosion
corrosion, tube sheets also get
damaged at the tube ligament areas
by formation of rat holes.
iii) Solid particles or marine growth that
settle down on the tubesheets due to
inadequate screening of cooling
water will cause localised attack on
tube sheets. Galvanic corrosion of
Tube sheets may take place at pass
partition grooves when partition
plates of channel or floating head
cover made of noble metal like
Monel or Stainless steel come in
contact with tubesheets of active
metallurgy.
8.6 FLOATING HEAD COVER
i) Floating head cover which are
generally made of carbon steel or
lined with monel or lead get
corroded in water service at bolts
holes and the holes get enlarged.
ii) Carbon steel pass partition plates
which are in contact with non
ferrous tube sheets undergo
galvanic corrosion.
iii) Floating head back up rings corrode
due to retention of acidic
condensate in overhead
condensers.
iv) Failure of gaskets sometimes
causes crevice corrosion on gasket
face of floating head cover flange.
v) Low alloy strength steel stud bolts,
for example ASTM-A-193 Gr. B7
crack due to sulphide stress
cracking phenomenon in overhead
condensers handling sour gases in
presence of moisture.
8.7 CHANNEL AND CHANNEL
COVER
i) Channel and channel covers are
prone to water side corrosion in
coolers and condensers.
ii) Carbon steel pass partition plates
corrode by galvanic action if they
come in contact with noble
metallurgy of tube sheets.
iii) Unlined carbon steel channel
covers are prone to pitting and
tuberculation corrosion.
iv) Monel lined or lead lined channels
get corroded at defects in lining or
its welds.
8.8 BAFFLES
i) Baffles get thinned out due to general
condensate corrosion in hydrocarbon
streams.
ii) Baffle holes get enlarged due to
erosion corrosion and tube vibration.
8.9 AIR COOLED EXCHANGER
Improper bonding of fins with tubes or the
damaged fins results in high differential
temperature between passes causing tube
bowing and warping. This finally results in
tube roll joint leaks.
8.10 BOX COOLER
Problem encountered in box coolers
are generally pitting type corrosion on
external surface of coil.
9.0 FREQUENCY OF INSPECTION
i) The following factors shall govern the
frequency of inspection:
Service
Rate of deterioration and remaining
corrosion allowance
Statutory requirements like IBR,
Factory Act, etc.
Change of service and past
experience
Operating requirements such as
desired cleanliness, fouling,
maintenance of required heat
transfer rate etc.
ii) Time interval between two inspection
schedules shall ensure availability of
enough corrosion allowance for the net
desired run.

iii) All those exchangers which can be
spared during operation of the plant
should be covered under preventive
maintenance schedule for inspection
and maintenance. In case where the
exchanger cannot be spared during
operation, its inspection frequency shall
be tied up with the shutdown of the
plant.
iv) After the initial commissioning of the
plant, first inspection of the exchanger
shall be carried out as per designers
recommendations or within two years of
service whichever is earlier. This
inspection shall include a thorough
inspection after pulling out the tube
bundle.
10.0 INSPECTION PROCEDURES
10.1 ONSTREAM INSPECTION
i) The actual temperature and
pressure conditions in relation to
design parameters shall be
checked. Any changes in fluid
stream should be noted and their
effect assessed e.g. increase in
temperature in hydrogen sulphide
service.
ii) The exchanger should be checked
for fouling which could cause a
stream of higher temperature fluid
to pass through equipment not
designed for such conditions.
iii) The paint condition shall be
checked for discolouration/burning.
iv) All flange joints and drain nozzles
shall be checked for possible
leakages. All tell tale holes shall be
checked for leaks.
v) Insulated surfaces operating below
150oC can corrode under wet
condition. Where such conditions
persist, stringent painting standard
shall be enforced.
vi) The condition of welds and HAZ
shall be checked for pinholes,
cracks etc.
vii) The condition of concrete/steel
saddle supports shall be checked
for any deterioration.
viii) Anode plate, if fitted, should be
electrically connected to fixed tube
sheet.
ix) The tubes of air coolers shall be
inspected for warping/distortion and
condition of fins.
10.2 SHUTDOWN INSPECTION
Prior to cleaning, all the accessible
parts of heat exchanger, shall be inspected
for fouling deposits, scaling, etc. If corrosion
is observed beneath these deposits, then all
such deposits shall be analysed. Tubes
bundles of SS material shall be chemically
treated with solution of Sodium Carbonate
or Sodium nitrate before exposing it to
atmospheric oxygen. For tube bundles
where sulphide scales are likely to be
available before opening, precautions shall
be taken to prevent overheating due to
oxidation of pyrophoric iron.
10.2.1 Shell, Shell Covers, Channel,
Channel Cover and Floating
Head cover:
i) General visual inspection of inside
and outside surfaces and welds
shall be carried out for signs of
pitting, grooving, scaling, erosion or
impingement attack. After visual
inspection detailed thickness survey
of these parts of exchanger shall be
carried out using ultrasonic
instruments.
ii) Shell portions adjacent to tube
bundle impingement plate and
baffle shall be checked for erosion.
iii) All the nozzles and small bore
connections shall be checked for
thinning.
iv) The pass partition plates of channel
head and floating head cover shall
be inspected for corrosion and
warping.
v) Area of internal corrosion shall be
marked on outside shell, shell cover
and channel head in order to
monitor on stream.
vi) Gasket surfaces of all the nozzles
shall be visually checked for
corrosion or mechanical damage.
vii) The lining, if provided shall be
checked for any damage.
10.2.2 Tube Bundle
i) The tube sheets shall be inspected
for general corrosion, pitting,
grooving etc.
ii) Gasket surfaces shall be checked
for corrosion grooving or
mechanical damage.
iii) Nonferrous tube sheets like Naval
Brass or Cupro Nickel should be
checked for dezincification or
denicklification.
iv) Pass partition grooves in tube
sheets should be checked for
groove pits and erosion.
v) The tube ends inside tube sheets
shall be checked for erosion.
vi) The tubes shall be checked for
plugging or warping.
vii) The peripheral tubes, tie rods and
baffles shall be inspected for
corrosion, erosion, cracks etc.
viii) The clearance of peripheral tubes in
baffle holes shall be checked. If
excessive, failure of tubes will occur
due to vibration/erosion.
ix) A failure analysis of leaking tubes
shall be done to establish cause of
failure.
10.2.3 General
i) The condition of the saddle support
shall be inspected.
ii) The backing ring shall be checked
for corrosion, pitting, grooving or
mechanical damage viz. warping.
iii) The fasteners shall be checked for
elongation, thinning and damaged
threads.
10.2.4 Air Cooler
i) The cooler assembly body along
with the steel framework shall be
checked for corrosion, pitting etc.
ii) The header compartments and their
cover plates shall be inspected for
corrosion, erosion, deposits etc.
iii) The air cooler shall be checked for
tube bowing /warping.
iv) The gasket surfaces shall be
inspected for corrosion and
mechanical damage.
v) The tube ends in header
compartment shall be checked for
erosion/thinning.
vi) If tube ends are welded to tube
sheets, the welding shall be
checked for cracks, corrosion etc.
vii) The accessible tubes externally
shall be checked for corrosion,
scaling, pitting etc.
viii) The fins if provided shall be
inspected for fouling, corrosion
and/or damage.
10.2.5 Box Cooler
Visual inspection shall be carried
out an external surface of cooler
pipes after cleaning. Thickness
measurements of pipes after
cleaning. Thickness measurements
of pipes shall be recorded. The Box
and the supporting system of cooler
coil shall be visually inspected for
corrosion/damage etc.
10.2.6 Double Pipe Coolers
i) The inner tube/pipe shall be pulled out
completely, cleaned and inspected
visually for pitting, scaling or any other
type of corrosion. Ultrasonic thickness
measurements shall be recorded on both
inner and outer pipes.
11.0 REPAIRS AND FOLLOW-UP
The immediate result of any
inspection should be recommended
by Inspection Engineer for any
necessary repairs. These may be
as major as a complete retubling of
tube bundle or as minor as rerolling
of a single tube. Inspection
engineer should follow repair jobs to
ascertain that they are being done
properly and that the material and
quality of workmanship are
satisfactory.
12.0 TESTING
All the heat exchangers shall be
tested at 1.5 times the design
pressure with temperature
correction applied when shell or
tube bundle is new or any major
repairs or replacement has been
carried out. The periodic test
pressure shall be calculated on the
basis of 1.5 times, the maximum
operating pressure. Additionally,
the following points shall be
considered while deciding the
periodic test pressure.
1) Test pressure shall not induce
stresses more than 90% of yield
strength of material.
2) If the heat exchanger is directly
connected to a pump, the test
pressure in no case shall be less
than the pump shut off pressure.
3) If the shell or tube side of the heat
exchanger is connected to any
equipment having safety valve
installed on it, the test pressure of
the exchanger shall not be less than
the set pressure of the safety valve.
4) Wherever tube side pressure is
higher than the shell side pressure,
then the shell side shall be
preferably tested at tube side test
pressure provided the design
conditions of the shell permits.
The duration of hydraulic test shall
not be less than 30 minutes. During
hydraulic testing, the pressure
gauge shall be installed at the
highest point. the range of the
pressure gauge shall be 30% more
than the test pressure and the
pressure gauge shall be freshly
calibrated.
12.1 PROCEDURE OF TESTING OF
SHELL AND TUBE TYPE
EXCHANGERS
Testing of shell and tube exchanger
shall be done in three stages using water.
In services where water ingress is not
desirable, testing may be done with
kerosene. Duration of test shall be
sufficient to inspect the joints under
pressure.
I) SHELL TEST:
Shell test is carried out after removing
shell/channel covers and floating head
and providing a test ring between the
floating head tube sheet and shell. All
the choked tubes shall be cleaned
internally prior to test. If dechoking is
not possible, then the choked tubes
shall be plugged preferably after
puncturing them. Shell side of
exchangers is ten pressurised gradually.
All the visible weld joints and the joint
between fixed tube sheet and shell
flange shall be checked thoroughly.
Pressure drop in gauge shall be
watched. In case of roll leak, rerolling
of tube end shall be done upto 8% more
than original calculated value. The
reduction in tube wall thickness shall
not be more than 12.5% of the original
thickness. In case of tube leak, both
the tube ends are plugged with tapered
plugs. Plugs material shall be same as
that of tube. Pressure testing is
repeated till satisfactory results are
observed and no tube/roll leak is
visible. It is desirable to remove the
testing fluid from the shell by air before
doing the floating head test. Plug
positions shall be marked in the
development stage for future records.
ii) FLOATING HEAD TEST
Test ring on floating head side of tube
bundle shall be removed and floating
head fitted back in position. Channel
end cover shall also be refitted and
tube side pressured through channel
section. Any leak from gasket joint of
floating head, channel cover, tube
sheets etc. and from tubes shall be
observed. If tube is found leaking, shell
test is to be repeated to plug the leaky
tube. The tube test is to be repeated till
satisfactory results are obtained.
iii) COVER TEST:
This test shall be carried out after fixing
shell cover and applying pressure
through shell side. The test pressure
should be equal to the shell test
pressure. Leak, if any, in the gasket
joint of shell cover shall be observed
and rectified.
12.2 PROCEDURE OF TESTING OF This standard shall be read in conduction
BOX TYPE COOLERS. with the following standards, codes and
publications:
The coil shall be pressured
hydraulically and checked for leaks from the I) API Guide for Inspection of Refinery
pipe, bends, gasket joints, and for any drop Equipment - Ch. VII - Heat Exchangers,
in pressure. Condensers and d
Cooler Boxes.
12.3 PROCEDURE OF TESTING OF
II) Standards of Tubular Exchanger
DOUBLE PIPE EXCHANGERS Manufacturers Association.
Inner tube shall be hydraulically iii) Corrosion Engineering - Fontana and
tested individually. After boxing up of inner Greene.
tube, the outer tubes shall be pressurised to
check the soundness of outer tube and iv) Corrosion Handbook-Uhlig
leakage from the joints.
v) ASME Section VII Boiler and Pressure
13.0 LIMITS OF THICKNESS Vessel Code

Retiring thickness of all the different vi) API 661 Air Cooled Exchangers for
parts of heat exchanger shall be developed general Refinery service.
as per the Code/Standard for which it is
designed. Guidelines given in chapter 7 of
API Guide for Inspection of Heat
Exchanger, Condenser and Cooler Boxes
should also be used.

14.0 RECORDS AND

DOCUMENTATION

Separate file should be maintained for

each heat exchanger, cooler or condenser.
A history card for each equipment should
show design data, material of construction
of each component, shutdown period of
exchangers and reason thereof. History
card shall also be maintained giving all
observations, repairs and replacement
carried out (see Annexures). This data will
help in forecasting the future
repairs/replacement of exchanger parts and
ordering long delivery items.

15.0 REFERENCES
 ANNEXURE

Good Operating Practice for

Shell and Tube Exchanger

a) If tube side temperature is higher than

shell side and if tube side fluid is
commissioned first without shell side
fluid, expansion of tube bundle can be
sufficient to cause damage like roll
leaks, warping/bending of tubes etc.
b) When tube side flow regulation is
required, ensured throttling is effected
on outlet valves. This prevents partial
starvation of tubes, overheating and
deposition.