Recognised as the global leader in fouling removal technology, Tube Tech International invests extensively in researching and developing step change methods to solve refining industries’ most difficult cleaning challenges. Tube Tech’s methods focus on side stepping traditional practices of retro water jetting and creating alternatives for every challenge that are not reliant on environment, manpower or operational restrictions.
Air Cooled Condensers are employed across many industries, and particularly popular where environmental restrictions prevent use of water for cooling. Dry regions, inevitably experience more external fin side dust contamination from the atmosphere. These areas can include agricultural land where high pollen counts increase the quantity of airborne particles sticking to ACC fins during summer months, similarly, those next to power and waste recycling plants and refineries.
Cooling of the product inside the tubes is also adversely affected making it more difficult to clean the scale caused by hot spots which increases scale formation within the tubes and becomes extremely tenacious and difficult to remove using traditional water jetting.
Tube Tech has a tube polishing method which now ensures cleaning standards for inspection are achieved first time every time regardless of fouling levels, especially useful for those refineries who wish to inspect 10% + to IRIS. This avoids costly re-work and the removal of ACC’s to ground for cleaning with UHP lances. Most importantly, it avoids going into critical path.
Another fouling removal technology developed by Tube Tech International, avoids shutting the plant down by cleaning the fins online. Essentially, this isn’t a new method, and flushing from the top down over, using air, foam, water etc., is a common practice. Where ACC’s are concerned though, the fouling is invariably on the underside. Tube Tech’s approach, if access allows, is to clean the fins whilst the units are live and online but from the underside.
Tube Tech’s FINbrite™ Air Cooled Condenser Cleaning System uses innovative telescopic technology to clean to exceptional standards whilst the unit remains online. This revolutionary system offers semi-automated, in-place cleaning of horizontal and apex (Hen House) style ACC units. This approach helps remove work scopes from the shutdown schedule, reducing site downtime whilst improving safety and the environment.
The company’s R&D team has an additional solution nearing completion. This method will clean both tube and fin side of an ACC unit whilst running live online at 250 degrees centigrade, which effectively prevents fouling from occurring. This method will reduce energy consumption, emissions, extend asset life and significantly reduce Capex and Opex.
For more information visit www.tubetech.com
